Magic Spells & Fairytales
by She-Loved-Too-Easily
Summary: When Bella Swan's father dies, she has to try and survive, living with her annoying stepmother and stepsister. Of course this fairytale wouldn't be complete without a prince charming to save her, even if he needs some saving, himself... All Human, BxE
1. Prologue

_Hey guys! :D_

_Long time no see. ;) Anyway, I'm back with a new story. It's true, I really can't last long without writing. Maybe I should consider going to rehab or something… Anyway, first, I'm going to bother you all with this silly, little story._

_Alright, the disclaimer, because it's necessary:_

**I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, Stephenie Meyer does. I only own a worn out laptop, a sucky job and too much free time. **

_Glad that's all cleared up! :D_

_Okay, about the story: It's sort of a silly story, based on fairytales and feel-good movies, because I happen to like those. :p Nothing supernatural though, it will be an all human story, so no one has to worry about talking mice/dwarfs/fairy godmothers showing up. xD The title is merely referring to the fact that this story contains several events/situations that are often used in fairytales. You'll recognize things from Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, etc. Just read and find out. ;)_

_The first fourteen days there will be daily updates, after that we'll see! _**All Human, Bella x Edward, Rated T.**

_This first chapter is a bit sad, but I'm sure everyone can understand that it is inevitable if I want to use this plot. ;)_

_Enjoy!_

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**Prologue**

_Eight years ago…_

My footsteps were echoing through the empty, sterile-looking hallway. I wrinkled my nose in disgust; the typical smell that was one of the characteristics of most hospitals, was something I would never get used to. That was saying something, considering the fact that I'd already had my fair share of trips to the hospital, even though I was only ten years old. Accidents and trouble always seemed to follow me around everywhere I went, and I often needed a doctor to fix the damage caused by my bad luck. Sometimes it almost felt as if I was cursed…

But today I didn't want to think about my own, insignificant problems… Today I wasn't at Forks Hospital for something as unimportant as a broken leg or a scraped knee. I was here to visit my dad, who wasn't doing very well. I swallowed heavily when I spotted room forty-seven, but gathered all my strength and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Charlie's raspy voice sounded from the other side of the light-yellow door.

I opened the door, tentatively stepping inside and walking up to him, giving him a concerned smile. He looked nothing like the Charlie I knew; the energetic, cheerful chief of police who was highly respected by the people who were living in the small town of Forks.

"Bells! I'm so glad to see you." He said softly.

He attempted to sit a little straighter in his hospital bed, and I abruptly shook my head.

"Be careful, dad, it's alright." I assured him, holding up my hands, silently instructing him to stay in place.

I knew exactly what he was trying to do; he wanted me to think that it was nothing, because he didn't want me to worry about him. He pretended that this was only a temporary thing, and that he would be healthy as a horse by the end of next week. Of course I knew better, I was ten, not five. He'd been in the hospital for weeks now, and I could _see_ that he was getting worse every day. I had also accidentally overheard a conversation that two of his doctors were having the other day when I had visited, and according to them, my dad was far from okay…

"How was your day, kiddo?" He asked in his croaking voice.

"Alright, same as always, I came straight here after school." I answered as I sat down on the chair next to his bed.

He smiled at me and reached out his hand. I took it in mine and gently squeezed, returning his smile.

"Regina isn't here?" I questioned.

Charlie shook his head. "She went home for a while, she was in desperate need of a nap."

I nodded in understanding, secretly grateful for the fact that it was just the two of us for now.

Regina Mallory, my stepmother, wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world, and the same could be said for her daughter Lauren; my stepsister. I still couldn't quite understand what my father saw in her. She was rather cold and somewhat arrogant, but for some reason she made him happy, and the last thing I wanted was to interrupt with his happiness. She usually acted normal towards me, polite, but nothing more than that. It had also caught my attention that she was considerably less friendly to me every time Charlie wasn't around, and I often wished that my mom was still alive…

My mother, Renée, had died directly after she'd giving birth to me, so I'd never really known her, but I was sure that having a mother wasn't anything like the non-existing relationship that I shared with Mrs. Mallory.

Charlie and Mrs. Mallory had met each other three years ago, and after a year of dating they had gotten married. I was glad that she had decided to keep her birth name, because I couldn't stand the thought of talking about her as 'Mrs. Swan'. Mrs. Swan had been my mother, not her. Regina and Lauren had moved in with us right after the wedding, and from that moment I had to share my room with Lauren, since our house wasn't that big. Normally I didn't mind sharing, not at all, but Lauren was as far from nice as you could possibly imagine. My dream of getting a fun, new sister to hang out with, had rather quickly been crushed the day she had stolen my diary and shared it with the entire school. Not to mention all the rumors she was spreading about me behind my back.

"Are you alright?" Charlie's voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, I'm fine, I was just… thinking." I murmured. "So how are you feeling, dad?" I asked, already knowing that he wouldn't give me a honest answer.

"I'm fine, Bells." He replied, his voice breaking twice.

I gave him a sad look, wondering if this was the time to speak my mind.

"You can tell me the truth… I'm not a baby anymore." I whispered after shortly deliberating.

He sighed deeply, his tired, worried eyes gazing at me. "I know, kid… You've grown up so much…"

"Then be honest with me, please." I pleaded in a nearly inaudible voice.

Charlie cleared his throat, his eyes never leaving mine. "Things aren't going so well, Bells... I'm not sure how long I… will be around."

Tears started to burn behind my eyes at his words. Deep inside I'd already known, but to hear him say it out loud… I was fighting to keep the tears from pouring out, trying to be strong for him, but it was almost impossible.

"Don't leave me, dad." I choked out, knowing that it was an irrational and selfish request.

He remained silent, his watery eyes wary. He knew that there was _nothing_ he could say to comfort me, not without lying.

"You'll be fine, Bella, I know you'll be fine." He whispered, some desperation in his voice. "And you'll have Regina, and Lauren… They're your family, too. The three of you will have to take care of each other." He added, sounding a little more optimistic at that thought.

I bit my lip, still trying to stop my tears from flowing, and nodded invisibly. This wasn't the time to tell him that things were far from peaceful between me and my stepfamily. The last thing I wanted at the moment, was Charlie worrying about me and my future.

"I know…" I murmured.

We silently stared at each other for some time, until the door of the hospital room flew open, and I all but jumped in my chair.

I automatically turned my head, and saw Mrs. Mallory wobbling inside on her high heels, throwing her fake-blonde hair over her shoulder in a swift movement. She looked very… purple, today. She was wearing some designer outfit that wasn't very suiting to go and visit someone in a hospital. The reason she could pay for things like that in the first place, was because she had inherited a huge amount of money from her rich former husband, who had died six years ago.

"Charlie, dear, I couldn't fall asleep, I just had to come back." She said in her nasal voice, walking up to his bed and leaning in to press a quick kiss against his forehead.

"You need to sleep, Regina." My dad protested.

She shook her head. "You need me now, I'll sleep later." She used a tone so dramatic that it was sounding rather fake, if you asked me.

I zoned out as she chatted to him, all the while ignoring me completely. Nothing new there, to me it had been obvious from the beginning that she didn't like me for some reason. Somehow Charlie had never noticed it; I guessed because love truly did make blind. Why grown-ups were so into this thing called love was beyond me, but I could only assume that it was the reason that Charlie had always seemed happier since that one day when he had met Regina Mallory.

"I think I'm going home now." I muttered after a few minutes, tired of listening to my stepmother's rambling.

Charlie smiled at me. "Alright… I'll see you later, Bells."

I leaned in to lightly kiss his cheek, and he firmly squeezed my hand. "You'll be fine, Bella. I love you." He whispered.

"I love you, too, dad." I couldn't stop myself from crying this time, and tears were streaming down my face.

He soothingly stroked my hair until I calmed down a little, and when I did, I reluctantly let go of him. I looked up to see that Regina was mindlessly staring out of the window, seeming rather bored by the exchange between me and Charlie. This woman had to be the world's first living heart-donor. How she was capable of loving my dad was a mystery to me. It wouldn't be nice to imply that she'd only married him because it was convenient for her to have a man who took care of her, but I had to admit that the thought often crossed my mind.

I got up from the chair and gave my dad one last smile. "Bye, dad. I'll see you tomorrow." I told him.

"Goodbye, Bells." He responded in his frail voice.

I headed for the exit, but before I could actually make my way out, Regina's annoying voice suddenly called my name. It sort of surprised me, since she hardly ever directly addressed me.

"Isabella?"

She always felt the need to use my full name, making it sound as if I had committed some sort of crime, and I shivered involuntarily as I turned around to face her.

"Yes?"

"I won't be home until late, make sure to make some dinner for Lauren and yourself." She instructed.

Charlie raised his eyebrows at her, and for a moment I wondered if he finally realized what Regina Mallory was made of, seeing as she was asking a ten year old with a terminal father to make dinner.

She immediately directed one of her well rehearsed smiles at him when she noticed his expression, talking herself out of it like she'd done many times before. "I mean, your daughter is very mature for her age, my Lauren isn't exactly an expert when it comes to things like cooking." She explained her behavior in a high voice.

I shrugged and agreed, eager to get away. "I'll make some sandwiches for us."

That earned me one of Regina's fake smiles, which she saved especially for me, for those rare occasions when she had no other choice but to show me some affection. I ignored her completely, not feeling like performing a play right now.

"See you again tomorrow, dad." I muttered, before turning around and escaping the hospital room.

Little did I know that I wouldn't be seeing him again, tomorrow. Or that I would _never_ speak to him again, for that matter…

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_That's it for today, new chapter tomorrow! ;)_


	2. No Fairytale

_Hey there! :)_

_Thank you so much for reviewing; _**Thari, Jm1708, Rosaa, Lizzie, Porkkana, Sara, Sunshine72, Clara Fonteyn, AutumnUrie, Silke112, Lizzy, MandMgirl, LexiLeothegreat909, Gnomegirl13**_ and _**Eternally Inquisitive!**_ :D _

_And of course; Thanks for my own not-sad fairytale, Thari, thanks for the Loveward, Lizzie, and thanks for the chocolate, LexiLeothegreat909! :D_

_I'm glad you all like the idea for the story! Also, it's not like the whole story will be this sad, but Charlie's dead was inevitable. ;) We're moving on to a lighter chapter now, eight years later. _

_To Jm1708: Aahw, reading this to the kids at the hospital? :D Hearing things like that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :) Great to have you back for my new story! _

_To Silke 112: Yay, ben je Nederlands? xD Want je naam klinkt zo Nederlands. :p _

_To Lizzy: Lol, I totally understand. Work can get crazy sometimes. xD _

_And to everyone who mentioned Cinderella: Yep, a lot of things in this story are based on Cinderella, because it was my favorite story when I was a kid. Secretly, I still love it. *Whistles innocently*_

_Alright, moving on! Have fun. _

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**No Fairytale **

_Eight years later…_

"Bella! Bella?"

I was instantly awake, and I shot up straight in my bed as the irritated, screaming voice of my stepsister sounded from downstairs. I was a little disorientated because of the sudden wake up call, but I soon was confronted by reality as I glanced around the small attic that had been my room for the past eight years now. Less than a week after my father had died, Lauren had demanded to have a room all to herself, and Regina had ordered me to move upstairs, to the tiny, dusty attic.

"Bella! Are you even listening?" It sounded again from the second floor.

"Yeah yeah, I hear you! What is it?" I called back as I crawled out of bed.

I heard Lauren stumbling up the stairs, and in no time she barged into my room, presenting me with one of her infamous, infuriated glares. She had dyed her light-brown hair two weeks ago, and it was now the same, fake-blonde color as Regina's.

"What?" I asked again when she didn't answer right away, arching my eyebrows at her.

"You were supposed to do the laundry yesterday!" Lauren hissed.

"Wow easy there, I'm sorry, I didn't have time to do it! I had to do my job, and my homework… and _your homework_." I reminded her.

"Who cares! I need my blue skirt!" She all but screamed, sounding slightly hysterical.

I dismissively rolled my eyes at her drama queen-like behavior. "I'm sure you'll find something else to wear."

"No, I can't! That skirt is perfect, and I _have_ to wear it today!" She snapped.

"Why is that?" I challenged her, not truly interested in hearing her answer.

"Do you have any idea who is moving to Forks today? Jeez, in which cave have you been hiding lately?" She gasped.

"A cave called 'reality'." I shot at her.

"Whatever, Bella. Anyway, Edward Cullen is moving to Forks!" She shrieked out, clapping her hands as she shared this piece of information with me.

I frowned at her. "Edward who? Do we know him?"

Lauren stared at me as if I'd just grown a tail in front of her. "Oh my god, you truly are from another planet! Edward Cullen? Famous actor? Only twenty years old but already winner of an Oscar? Ring any bells?"

I now vaguely remembered that I'd once heard of him; rumor had it that he was good at his job, but a horrible person. I knew that he had made lots of movies, but I'd never seen any of them, and I wasn't even sure what he looked like.

"Yeah well, some of us can't afford themselves the luxury of watching movies and reading gossip magazines all day long. And other than that, how does that have anything to do with your blue skirt?" I demanded.

Lauren rolled her eyes. "I'll have to look perfect when I meet him, of course! He's moving into that big, white mansion just outside of Forks, and this afternoon, Jessica and I are going to bring him a cake to welcome him to our precious little town!" She enthusiastically informed me about her plan.

Ah, Jessica Stanley, another bimbo without a brain, and Lauren's best friend. This plan already sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. I doubted if they would even make it past security.

"Who told you that, anyway? Are you sure no one is trying to pull a joke? Why would some famous movie star move to dreary, old Forks?" I asked skeptically.

Lauren made a face at me. "As if anyone would have the guts to mess with me. Besides, this rumor came straight from Mrs. Stanley, so it's definitely true. It so happens that he has just finished shooting his latest movie, and he is in desperate need of a break from his crazy life."

Of course, Jessica's mother… The queen of gossip, she would know.

"Well either way, you'll have to seduce him while wearing something else, because I have to get to school, and after that I have to get to my job." I said in a final tone.

"Then call in sick and skip school! I need my skirt… and I was also sort of counting on _you_ to bake the cake." Lauren told me shamelessly.

I gaped at her in disbelief. "No way! If you want to give Edward what's-his-name a cake, that's fine, but I won't be the one baking it. I'm not going to get even more behind with my schoolwork because you need me to make a treat for one of your many talentless idols." I complained.

Lauren gasped in shock. "He's not talentless! He's amazing! I know that there are rumors going around about him being an impossible, spoiled brat, but I also _know_ that he'll fall for me right away if he's impressed by the cake. So you'd better make sure that it's freaking delicious!"

"Oh yes, I'm sure he'll be thrilled when two fans show up at his getaway-place." I muttered sarcastically.

Lauren wouldn't recognize sarcasm if it jumped up and down in front of her wearing a yellow hat, and so she nodded firmly in agreement.

"That's right, so go work on that cake! And wash my skirt." She commanded.

I was about to protest again, when another voice sounded from downstairs.

"Lauren?" Regina called loudly.

"Yes, mother?" Lauren replied sweetly.

"I'll be out for the day, I'm going to Seattle because I've got some serious shopping to do, I'm sure you will be alright."

"Of course, mother." Lauren called back, the fake-sweet tone never wavering.

"Good, I'll be going then. Oh and Isabella…" She yelled, her friendly tone quickly switching to a flat, commanding one.

"Yes?" I reluctantly answered her, narrowing my eyes. I was glad that she was downstairs and couldn't see my irritated face.

"Make sure to clean this place up, it's such a mess here! I want the kitchen and the living room to be nice and clean when I get back tonight." She barked.

I blinked in astonishment, and Lauren smiled smugly at me.

"Seems you're in for a busy day." She taunted me in a singsong voice.

"Forget it, I'll clean up this place a little and I'm off to school." I groaned at her.

"No, you're going to bake a cake, or I'll tell mom that you've been stealing money from her. Or maybe I'll make up something even worse… Your life will be even harder when she kicks you out of the house." Lauren threatened, glaring at me.

"But…" I began.

"Nuh uh, no buts, and make sure that the cake tastes good! Oh, and I want green topping on it that says '_Welcome Edward_'." She mused.

"Why green?" I asked tiredly.

"Because it resembles the color of his wonderful eyes." Lauren said dreamily. "So make sure it's emerald green, his eyes are emerald green."

"You've got to be kidding me." I muttered.

"I'm deadly serious, so I suggest you start working on it… If you want to go to school at all, today…"

xxx

"Add two eggs…" I murmured, reading the recipe out loud.

It was my plan to finish this stupid cake as fast as possible, do the laundry and the cleaning while it was baking, and get my ass to school as soon as it was done and out of the oven. Hopefully I would only miss the first three classes, if everything went according to plan.

"Emerald green." I grumbled to myself. "_No one_ has emerald green eyes, it's a description that people use when writing a cheesy love story."

Oh no, I was talking to myself now, wasn't that a sign of insanity? Not good. I kept my lips tightly pressed together in a hard line while I finished the cake. When I was done I shoved it into the oven, and cleaned the house as fast as humanly possible, making sure to do the laundry first. God forbid that Lauren would have to meet Edward what's-his-name while she was wearing ordinary designer jeans.

Around eleven I was finished, and I pulled the cake out of the oven, placing it on the sink so it could cool off. I hastily collected my books and car keys, skipping out of the house, where I was greeted by the rain. I got into my old, red truck, which was considered a joke by almost all my fellow students, and started the engine. Okay, so maybe this truck _was_ a joke, but it was all I could afford. I'd been very lucky; I had bought it from my dad's old friend Billy Black, and he had made a special friend-price for me. It wasn't very glamorous, but if it weren't for this truck, I would still be walking to school every day. No way that Lauren would give me a ride in her sporty Mercedes, which was probably paid with the college money that Charlie had set aside for me.

I arrived at school, over three hours late, and managed to find an empty spot in the crowded parking lot. I got out of my truck, practically running in the general direction of building three, hoping that I was still in time for Spanish class.

When I reached the classroom, I could conclude that I was on time, seeing as a few of my classmates were just disappearing through the door. I entered the room, and made my way to my desk, sitting down next to Angela.

"Bella! Where were you this morning?" Angela asked as soon as I fell down in my chair, sounding concerned.

My friend Angela Weber was always worrying about me. She was a very sweet, considerate girl, and my only buddy here at Forks High. Unlike most students, she didn't believe any of the rumors that Lauren loved to spread about me, and she was a very loyal friend. I was glad that I had her, seeing as a lot of the other students persistently ignored me; without a doubt because of the stories that Lauren told about me.

I sighed. "Trouble with my wonderful stepfamily, again."

Angela gave me a sympathetic look. "What did you have to do this time?"

I shrugged. "The usual… Cleaning, laundry, and baking a cake for the evil stepsister."

"Baking a cake?" She asked, frowning.

I shook my head. "Don't even ask, you don't want to know."

Mrs. Goff started class, ending our conversation, and I obediently took notes and paid attention.

When class ended Angela and I walked to the cafeteria together to have lunch, and as we were enjoying our sandwiches, Angela brought up the cake again.

"So the cleaning is nothing new, but what's up with the cake? I mean, Lauren would never eat something that contains that many carbs." She asked curiously.

I rolled my eyes. "It's not for her, she wants to give it as a welcome gift to some arrogant-brat-movie star who's moving to Forks."

"You mean Edward Cullen? I've heard about that. I don't think he'll be happy to see Lauren, though. According to most magazines he's not really a happy camper."

"Yeah him." I muttered. "And I agree with you, but apparently _she_ thinks it will be love at first sight when she brings him the cake… But only if she wears her blue skirt, naturally."

Angela looked puzzled when I mentioned the blue skirt, but she let it go. "_That_, I don't want to know."

I laughed. "You're right, you don't. I propose a change of subject! So spill, how are things going with you and Ben?"

Angela let out a frustrated groan.

"That bad, huh?" I joked.

"If only I had the guts to say something more intelligent to him than a stupid 'hello'." She muttered, slowly shaking her head.

"I don't think it's that hard… Ben seems like a nice guy, it can't be that hard to talk to him. Don't wait for him to make a move, do it yourself!" I encouraged her.

"Great advice, Miss never-been-in-love, but it only sounds easy in theory. Making a move on a guy that you're head over heels in love with isn't that simple." Angela complained.

I defensively held up my hands. "Alright, I'm sorry. I suppose you're right, but I was only trying to help."

Angela gave me a tiny smile. "I know, but this is something I have to do on my own."

I nodded in defeat. "I guess… Just give it some time, I'm sure if something is meant to happen between the two of you, it _will_ happen eventually."

"Optimist." Angela accused me in a playful tone.

"Hardly, only trying to cheer up my friend." I told her with a grin.

xxx

Throughout the day it became clear that the Edward-guy was a hot topic; the whole school was talking about nothing else. I wisely ignored the hype, and I was almost relieved when I could get away from Forks High after my last class, in order to go to my job.

I worked at the outdoor store that was owned by the Newtons, and even though it was no dream-job, it was endurable. Not like I had much of a choice, finding a job in the small town of Forks wasn't the easiest task. That's why I had been very grateful when Mrs. Newton had hired me a few months ago. I really needed a job, mainly because no job meant no money for college, which also meant being stuck in Forks with my evil stepfamily forever.

I was absolutely positive that Charlie had set aside some money for my future education, because he had once mentioned it to me. Unfortunately, Charlie hadn't left a will, and Regina was in complete control of all his bank accounts. Needless to say, she thought that me going to college was a waste of precious money, so if I ever wanted to get out of gloomy Forks, I would have to do it myself.

I parked my car in front of the store, and the second I walked in, Mrs. Newton came up to me. The look on her face was apologetic, and I wondered what was going on.

"Good afternoon, Bella." She greeted me politely.

"Hello, Mrs. Newton." I replied cautiously.

She smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"Oh, what's that?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy. What was going on? Had my evil stepsister interfered with my job in some way?

Mrs. Newton sighed. "Well, as you may have noticed, business isn't going so well lately… We don't get a lot of customers anymore…"

"Yeah, it's a little quiet nowadays." I agreed lightly, partly relieved because this wasn't about Lauren, but not particularly liking where this conversation was going.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Bella. We can't afford to pay for an employee anymore. I'm truly sorry." She came to the point.

I felt a stab of disappointment. _Bye bye, decent job_.

"But I really need this job." I said in a polite but slightly earnest tone.

"I know, and I wish there was another way, but I'm afraid we'll have to let you go." Mrs. Newton answered, giving me a small smile.

I knew arguing was no use, and I forced myself to smile back at her. "Alright, I understand… Thank you, it was very nice working here."

"Yes, and you've been a great employee, so I'm sure that you'll find another job soon." Mrs. Newton tried to comfort me. "Take care, Bella."

"Thanks." I murmured, cracking another smile and replying mechanically. "Goodbye, Mrs. Newton."

I exited the store, and I was feeling angry as I climbed back into my truck. I punched the steering wheel in pure frustration. Too bad that it only resulted in me having a painful hand… I would find another job, soon… Yeah right. This was Forks, jobs were very rare here.

Why was it always me? What was it with all the bad luck that always seemed to be stalking me everywhere I went? Sure, everyone had a bad day every once in a while, that was life, shit happened… But apparently it mostly happened to me, so that probably meant that the rest of the people who were roaming this earth were fairly safe…

I started the noisy engine and drove back home, at the same time contemplating where to go from here. I needed another job, that much I knew.

I got home and noticed that no one was there, yet, which suited me just fine. I grabbed an apple from the bowl with fruit on the kitchen table, and went upstairs, hoping to get some of my homework done before Regina or Lauren came back to bother me with some more nasty chores.

When I entered my room and sat down at my desk, I found that there was a yellow post-it sticking to the screen of my outdated computer.

'_I need you to do my trig homework, it's on your desk, make sure that it's finished tomorrow. And don't wait for me for dinner, I'll probably be busy getting it on with Edward Cullen.'_

My loud laugh filled the silence of my room. Busy getting a restraining order, if you asked me.

Since there was no point in putting it off, I started to work on Lauren's homework, hoping that maybe I would succeed in also getting done with my own homework in time. I was seriously asking myself how a day could go so wrong… Or a week, or a month… Or a life… One more year of this and I would surely lose my last trace of optimism. Regardless, I would just have to grin and bear it.

I worked in silence until I heard the front door slam downstairs. For a second I feared that Regina was home early, but then I heard Lauren's shrieking voice, calling my name.

"Bella! Are you home? Get down here and make me some dinner! Jess and I got thrown out by some creepy security guy! We didn't even have a chance to give him the cake, can you believe it!"

I snorted quietly at her shocked, defeated rant. You had to appreciate the little things in life, and Lauren Mallory being put back into place was one of those things…

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_Thanks for reading, new chapter tomorrow! ;)_


	3. Job Hunt

_Hi folks! :)_

_Thanks for the awesome reviews; _**Lisa, Thari, Missrain, Rosaa, Marijne, Mouse555, AutumnUrie, Doves1993, Twilightaddict, DiamondDoll94, 1PhantomPhreak8, Eternally Inquisitive, ****LexiLeothegreat909, Silke112, Clara Fonteyn **_and_** Lizzy!**_ They make me smile! :D_

_And thanks for the fairytale book, LexiLeothegreat909! :D_

_To Lisa: So true, you can't rip her heart out, seeing as she's the world's first living heart donor. :p_

_To Rosaa: Feel free to use the B-word. :p They ARE bitches. xD_

_To DiamondDoll94: Yes, it is set in the modern time, it says __**eight**__ years later, not eighty. :p Bella went from a ten year old to an eighteen year old. ;)_

_To Silke: Haha, ja hoor, natuurlijk mag je in het Nederlands reviews schrijven, dat maakt mij echt niets uit. xD En jaaa, ik ken die film met Selena inderdaad, al moet ik wel toegeven dat het lang geleden is dat ik hem zag. xD Maar mooi dat je het acteur-idee leuk vindt! :)_

_To Lizzy: Aahw, it's so sweet that you still took the time to review, even with your busy life! :)_

_To all of you who want Edward in the story; don't worry, he will make his first appearance tomorrow… Although I'm not sure if we're supposed to be happy about that… ;) Anyway, today we get to meet Alice!_

_Okay, moving on, chapter three!_

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**Job Hunt**

I didn't have much time to look for a new job during the remainder of the school week, because Regina and Lauren greedily used up all my extra free time, but I decided that I would use Saturday for the big job hunt. Luck was with me for once, seeing as Regina and Lauren would be gone for the weekend, visiting some beauty spa, which gave me some time to myself.

On Saturday morning I was sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying a breakfast that wasn't rushed, something that was very rare for me. I chewed my pancakes as I formed a plan of action in my mind. Maybe I could go and visit the few stores in Forks, to ask if anyone needed help. It was a long shot, but I had to try something, and this seemed like a good way to start.

I ate the rest of my breakfast, reading the local newspaper while doing so. I mindlessly scanned through the pages, when my gaze suddenly fell on the page with job advertisements. There were less than ten, but I read them nonetheless. Only one advert really caught my attention.

'_Wanted, housekeeper. Light cleaning activities for two or three hours a day.'_

Cleaning… I could do cleaning, after all, I'd had eight years of practice. It couldn't be that hard, and two or three hours a day was perfect, I wouldn't have a problem combining it with school. There was no name or address, the ad only said that it was in Forks. I did spot a phone number, so I grabbed the phone from the sink and dialed it, acting on an impulse. This seemed like a good opportunity, and it was worth a try.

After three rings, someone picked up.

"Hello, Alice speaking!" A chipper voice sounded from the other end of the phone.

I was a little surprised by the overwhelming enthusiasm, and stumbled a bit over my own words when I answered. "Ehm hi, this is Bella… Bella Swan, I'm calling about the job advertisement in the local newspaper?"

"Ah right! Yes, I'm glad you're calling, I'm still looking for someone." She replied, the cheery tone still present.

"Great." I responded in relief, glad that the job at least wasn't taken yet.

"Ehm, let's see… Can you come over for a short interview?" She asked.

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Okay… Are you free this afternoon, around two?"

"I'm free." I assured her.

"Good! I'll give you the address." She responded.

"Yes, just a second, let me get pen and paper."

I walked over to the sink, searching one of the drawers for a pen, and when she told me the address I scribbled it down on the newspaper.

"So, I'll see you at two?" Cheery-sounding-Alice verified.

"Yes, I'll be there." I promised.

"Alright, see you then, bye Bella!"

"Bye, Alice. And thank you!"

I hung up the phone, smiling widely. That went well… Maybe finding a new job wouldn't be the impossible task that I'd expected it to be. If this Alice approved of me, that was to say… But she had sounded very friendly and enthusiastic, so I wasn't going to worry too much about that.

It was only half past ten, which meant that I still had a few hours left until the interview, and I used that time to finally _really_ catch up with my homework. I also did some cleaning, since Regina had made it pretty clear that she wanted the house to be sparkling clean when she and Lauren would return on Sunday night.

Around one pm I was finished with my homework, and the biggest part of the house was looking decent again. I quickly grabbed a granola bar for lunch, at the same time studying a map of Forks, looking up the address that Alice had given me. I came to the conclusion that it was somewhere just outside of Forks, and I swallowed down the last part of my granola bar before I gathered my car keys, the map and my coat.

As I stepped out of the front door, I briefly wondered if my old, monstrous truck would make a bad impression, but since I had no choice anyway, I dismissed that thought almost immediately.

The drive didn't take long, but I was momentarily confused when I reached my destination. I didn't see a house anywhere, but there was a small dirt road to my left. I observed that there was a huge, white gate in front of it, and to my shock, a bald, burly looking guy in a black suit. Holy crow, this wasn't… No way, it couldn't be…

The bald man walked up to my truck, a stern, businesslike expression on his face, and I reluctantly opened my window.

"Name, reason of your visit?" He asked without even greeting me.

I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"Good afternoon. Bella Swan, I'm here for a job interview." I told him, matching his professional tone.

"Ah right." He said, nodding in understanding, his face relaxing a little. "I'm sorry, but I'm sure you can understand why we have to be careful." He added, walking away before I had a chance to respond to his rhetorical question.

He opened the gate for me, nodding curtly as a sign that I was allowed to drive.

I raised my eyebrows in confusion. Did I understand? I contemplated for a second, and to my dismay I was afraid that I _did _understand. In fact, I was wondering if it was too late to turn around and get the hell out of here, because this had to be the place where the arrogant brat lived… Just my luck. But then who was this Alice? His girlfriend maybe? Or his secretary. Whoever she was, at least she had sounded normal and nice…

The bald man was getting impatient, and he motioned for me to get going. I hesitantly drove past the fence, not giving him a second look. I followed the dirt path for several minutes, and just as I started to wonder if it would ever come to an end, an enormous, white mansion appeared from behind the trees.

"Oh. My. God." I whispered.

I found an empty parking space to park my truck, next to an expensive-looking, silver Volvo. I already felt enormously out of place here, and I started to think that perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all. I got out of my vehicle, slowly walking up to the front door of the impressive, white house.

My stomach was doing some flips, and I hesitated again before I pressed the doorbell, but ended up pressing it anyway.

"Come on, Bella! Don't be a coward, you _need_ this job." I babbled to myself, at the same time thinking that I was truly going insane at this point.

My heart skipped a beat when the door opened. A pixie-like girl with short, dark hair was revealed. I would definitely describe her as 'pretty', and she looked very fashionable.

"Ah, you must be Bella!" She spoke right away, grinning widely at me. "I'm Alice, Alice Cullen!"

She held out her hand for me to shake and I complied, smiling back at her. "Nice to meet you, Alice." I said sincerely.

My first impression was that she was as nice in person as I'd expected her to be after talking to her on the phone. Also, she had confirmed all my suspicions when she'd introduced herself; her last name was _Cullen_. She wasn't just his girlfriend, she was his wife, or so I assumed.

"Why don't you come inside?" She invited me in with a warm smile.

"Yes, thank you." I replied quietly, following her into the large, light entrance-hall.

She led me to the other end of the hall, and the graceful way in which she was moving almost reminded me of dancing. She was walking rather swiftly, not giving me a chance to examine my surroundings very closely.

"This way." She said, holding a door open for me, and gesturing for me to go first.

I did as she told, stepping into what turned out to be a spacious living room. The entire interior was white, which only made the room look even bigger.

"Have a seat." Alice said, waving her hand at the ivory-colored couch. "Would you like some coffee, or tea?"

"Oh… I'd love some tea." I responded politely, slowly sinking down onto the couch.

Alice grinned again. "I'll be right back with that."

She disappeared through a door to my left, and I automatically glanced around the room. One wall was completely made out of glass, and it had a spectacular view on the rainy forest. All the furniture was white, which caused the room to look sort of sterile… And somewhat empty, in my opinion, but that was probably because the Cullens had only lived here for a few days.

"There you go." Alice's voice broke me out of my thoughts, and I smiled at her as she placed a steaming mug on the small, glass table in front of me.

"Thanks."

Alice sat down on the other couch, on my right, and she briefly looked me up and down before she spoke again.

"Alright, let's get started. How old are you, Bella?" She asked.

"Eighteen."

"Aha. And you're looking for a part-time job?"

"Yes, I'm in my senior year of high school, and I need a job to earn some money for college." I explained.

"Did you have any jobs before this one?" Alice questioned.

I nodded, relieved that at least I had some work experience that I could mention. "Yes, I've worked at Newton's Outdoor Store for several months, but I was let go a few days ago because business wasn't going so well anymore."

"I see… Do you have any experience when it comes to cleaning?" She asked seriously.

I had to stop myself from laughing. "More than you can possibly imagine." The words were out before I knew it.

Alice raised an eyebrow at me, her brown eyes curiously gazing at me. "Really? You're eighteen… Did you have to do a lot of cleaning at Newton's?"

"No, no, I mostly helped customers there. I do a lot of the cleaning at home, I've already had a lot of practice." I explained.

"Aha… Well, in that case, I think you're the right person to do the job. If you're sure that you can make time to be here several hours a day… With your schoolwork, I mean."

I grinned without thinking about it, feeling light for a moment because this all seemed to go very smoothly. "Yes, of course! I'll manage."

"Okay… then that was part one of the interview." Alice stated dryly.

I frowned, my stomach twisting when my brain registered that it wasn't over yet. What else would she want to discuss?

"What's part two?" I asked, voicing my curiosity.

Alice laughed. "I think you can guess."

I gave her a puzzled look. "I'm afraid I can't."

She made a face at me. "I'm pretty sure you know who's house this is."

"Oh… Yeah, my stepsister Lauren told me about it the other day." I told her honestly.

"Why do you think I didn't add a name or an address to the advertisement? Crazy fan girls would be standing in line for that job if they noticed the advert. This way I knew that you were truly interested in the job." Alice said smugly.

"Excellent plan." I agreed with her.

"Yes… But since you _are_ around Edward's age I have to ask you… What is your opinion about Edward?"

Oh god, was there even a right answer to that question? If I told her that I liked him, she would probably think that I was after him, but if I told her that I thought that he was probably some spoiled, arrogant brat, she would most definitely be insulted…

"You can tell me the truth." Alice urged me on, humor in her voice.

For some reason I did as she asked, telling her the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. "You know what, I don't really have the right to form an opinion when it comes to Edward Cullen, because six days ago, I hardly even knew that he _existed_. I've only heard the usual rumors about him being difficult, but I don't have a clue what he looks like, I know nothing about his personal life, and I haven't seen any of his movies."

"None of his movies?" Alice repeated, disbelief coloring her tone.

I nervously bit my lip. "Yeah yeah, I know, I live in a cave."

I'd expected Alice to be upset about my bold answer, but instead she laughed out loud.

"I wouldn't say that." She comforted me when she had composed herself again. "You're merely acting differently than other girls your age. You're probably the only eighteen year old girl who doesn't know who he is."

"But I could!" I blurted out. "Watch his movies, I mean… If that's what it takes to get the job." I offered desperately.

Alice laughed again. "I don't care about that, you silly girl. It's only in your favor that you don't know who he is, he came here for some peace and quiet, not to have an obsessed fan running around his house."

"Oh, well I swear on my life that I'm not a fan."

"I believe you… You're hired, Bella Swan! And you know what, this means that I can erase one thing from my huge to-do-list. It's a pain in the ass to help my brother getting settled here, but I'm sure he will be glad to hear that we've found someone to clean up his mess behind him." She said mockingly, rolling her eyes.

"Your brother?" I asked in surprise.

"Yeah, you know, Edward, the movie star, you might recall that we just talked about him." Alice teased me.

"Yes… I'm sorry, I thought you were his wife." I admitted, blushing like an idiot.

"Gross, Bella, don't say horrible things like that!" Alice exclaimed in mock horror.

I shrugged and gave her an apologetic look.

"No, I'm only here because mom and dad are too busy to help him to get settled. I'll be staying here for a few weeks. After that I'm going back to New York, and he will have to take care of himself."

"Ah, I see."

"Of course Emmett could've helped, too, but he claims that he's 'too busy' with his wrestling career." She explained, rolling her eyes and making quotation marks in the air with her fingers as she said 'too busy'.

"Who's Emmett?" I wondered out loud.

She grinned. "Our other brother, who thinks that the world is made out of sunshine, rainbows and donuts."

"Aha. He sounds like a happy-go-lucky fellow." I said, laughing.

"Oh, he is." Alice confirmed. "But I'm a little pissed at him because thanks to him, I have to deal with grumpy on my own! Emmett's got more than enough time, he's just making up excuses! As if I'm not terribly busy with trying to become a fashion designer." She added, huffing.

"Oh, that's not very nice of him…" I said, trying not to show my amusement. The Cullens sounded like some family from a soap opera.

"I know right! But alas, once again, Alice Cullen has to save the day by sacrificing herself." She said, some fake drama in her voice. "And of course Jasper has to make some sacrifices, too. He isn't too happy about me being gone for at least three weeks, but he'll survive."

"Jasper?" I asked, having some trouble keeping up with the sudden flood of unfamiliar names.

"Oh! My charming boyfriend, who happens to be the most perfect man in the world." Alice informed me, her eyes shining as she talked about him.

I laughed at her enthusiasm. "He sounds truly dreamy."

"He is…" She said, sighing happily, her head clearly filling itself with thoughts about Jasper.

After a few seconds she snapped out of it, and got back to business.

"Okay then, how about we start with three hours a day, and if it's too much, we can go back to two." Alice suggested.

"Sounds good to me. During which hours should I be here?" I asked.

"Whenever you want, as long as it isn't in the middle of the night." Alice said, winking at me.

"Thank you, flexible working hours… That's very helpful with school and all." I said appreciatively.

"Anytime! Oh and one more thing…" Alice mused, sliding to the edge of the couch, moving closer to me. She leaned in a little, her face turning deadly serious for the first time during the interview.

"What's that?"

"The rumors aren't exactly based on nothing… Edward can be… difficult, to put it lightly. He has some problems with his temper sometimes, and he can be a bit moody. Not to mention, he is having some trouble accepting the fact that he isn't the centre of the universe." Her voice was low and almost conspiratorially, as if we were some sort of partners in crime, conspiring against her brother.

"Oh… I'll try not to bother him, I promise. I'll make sure to stay out of his way as much as possible." I offered, matching her low tone, guessing that she was using it because she feared that Edward would overhear our conversation.

"No." Alice protested a bit firmer than I would've thought necessary. "That's not where I was going with this. Basically what I'm saying is; don't let him scare you off, and give him a chance, it will be healthy for him to meet some normal, sane people."

I laughed as she said 'sane people'. She clearly didn't know that she was talking to the girl who sometimes had very interesting conversations with herself.

"Alright, I'll see how it works out." I said, not sure if I wanted to contribute to this therapy that Alice had in mind for her brother. "So, when can I start?"

Alice beamed at me. "If it's alright with you, you can start today!"

"Wow, thanks so much, I could really use the money." I responded gratefully.

"My pleasure, Bella… I've got a feeling that you and I are going to be such great friends!"

* * *

_Thank you for reading! :D New update tomorrow._


	4. Meeting The Brat

_Hey everyone! :D_

_Wow, thanks for all the kind reviews; _**Mouse555, Lizzie, Porkkana, DiamondDoll94, Rosaa, Sara Lautner, Marijne, Tinkerbear10, 1PhantomPhreak8, LexiLeothegreat909, Zookiel101, Et1141412, Lizzy, AutumnUrie, Jm1708,**** Rosalies-Evil-Twin **_and_** Emma!**_ They make my day! :D_

_And also; Thanks for the Ben&Jerry's and Emmet, Lizzie, and thanks for the cleaning supplies (xD), LexiLeothegreat909! :D_

_To DiamondDoll94: Yes, Tanya will be in this story, but most parts that include her are already written, so there's not much room left for any other ideas. xD But thanks anyway! :D_

_To LexiLeothegreat909: Lol, it's a funny story actually, why I picked this pen name. xD When I was creating this account, I had a total lack of inspiration for a name. At that moment I was listening to my IPod (on shuffle) and there was this song playing, called 'Love it away' by Krystal Meyers. That's why I picked that name at that moment, I didn't really know anything better. Now I'm used to it, so I never changed it afterwards. xD_

_To Lizzy: Yes! :D I adore that movie!_

_To Josefa: Wow… I read your review and I was like, staring at the screen of my laptop for five minutes straight, smiling like an idiot. xD It seems I've got an entire fan base at the hospital, it's so cool to meet you all! :D It's really amazing to hear that you're all loving the story, you guys truly rock my world! Give my love to all the doctors and nurses! :D And of course a big hug for Adrian, Rosalyn, Alejandro, Harmodio, Katiuska, Vielka and Daniel!_

_Okay, something else; My internet connection is acting very strange lately. I'm praying that it isn't going to quit on me, but if it does and I'm not updating without telling you guys, that doesn't mean that I've neglected this story. It simply means that I'll have to wait until my dad fixes the problem. ^^" So no worries, for now it's still working, but I wanted to give a warning in advance, just in case. _

_There I go again with the huge author's notes. I suck. xD Alright, chapter four, have fun! _

* * *

**Meeting the Brat**

Alice and I went through a few more details, such as my salary, and she also told me where I could find the cleaning supplies. According to her it didn't really matter where I started my cleaning, as long as I made sure that I did everything once in a while. She did, however, hint that the second floor needed some vacuuming. That's why I was currently stumbling up the stairs, dragging along the heavy vacuum cleaner.

I reached the top of the stairs, and brought the thing to life. It made a loud, rumbling noise, and I dutifully started to vacuum the light carpet that covered the hallway on the second floor. I hummed a tune as I worked, and soon I was finished with the hall.

Alice had told me that I was free to go wherever I wanted, and so I moved on to vacuuming the rooms on the second floor. I picked a room at random, opening the door, and it appeared to be a guestroom. It wasn't very big, probably the smallest room that this ridiculously large house possessed, and I was done within ten minutes.

I got out of the room, gently closing the door behind me, and I picked a new room, across the hall. I dragged along the still rumbling vacuum cleaner, and opened the door. I swallowed heavily when I noticed that it was some sort of office, and that I was _not_ the only person in the room.

A beautiful boy, who was sitting behind a large desk that was situated in the centre of the room, was talking to someone on the phone. When he looked up because of the horrible noise that the vacuum cleaner was producing, he threw me a disdainful glare…

This had to be Edward Cullen. I could now partly understand why my idiotic stepsister worshipped the ground he walked on, because I couldn't deny that he was the prettiest thing I had ever seen...

His skin was very pale, and his features were flawless. His nose, his jaw, his high cheekbones, his lips… It all reminded me of a perfectly carved, marble statue. He had messy, copper colored hair that contrasted nicely with his skin. The kind of hair that you wanted to touch to find out if it was as soft as it looked. Edward Cullen looked like a god, but he also looked sort of scary, seeing as his infuriated scowl grew more and more pronounced as he proceeded to glower at me.

"What's wrong with you! Are you going to just stand there?" He suddenly asked, yelling to be heard over the sound of the vacuum cleaner.

"No, I was only..." I stuttered as I tried to sort out my messed up thoughts.

"You were only what?" He demanded in a harsh tone. "Turn that annoying thing off or get the hell out of here! Can't you see that I'm on the phone?"

I flinched and turned off the thing in a reflex. "I'm sorry..." I whispered weakly.

"Sure you are, please get out of my sight." He said tiredly, running one of his hands through his already tousled hair.

Again I winced at his hostile tone, and I didn't have the guts to ignore his order. I swiftly grabbed the vacuum cleaner, slowly backing out of the room while he watched me closely, never taking his intimidating stare away from me.

Before I turned around in order to make my escape, I saw how he rolled his eyes at me, and in the short time it took me to firmly close the door behind me, I heard how he continued his conversation on the phone.

"Tanya, I'm sorry, some brainless girl barged into the room with a noisy machine. What were you saying earlier about..."

The door closed with a 'click', and his voice faded away.

What the hell? Brainless girl? Who did that jerk think he was? If anyone was brainless, it was him! I was boiling with anger, but I couldn't help that I also felt a little smug because I had been right all along; Edward Cullen was an arrogant brat, and the world's biggest asshole. He was nice to look at, but that was about it. He was rude, unreasonable, and quite frankly, somewhat scary…

I didn't have the guts to clean the other rooms on the second floor, and I all but sprinted down the stairs, tightly holding on to the vacuum cleaner. At that exact moment my clumsiness decided to make an unwelcome appearance, and I tripped, tumbling down the stairs with a few loud 'bangs'. God no, more noise… Edward Cullen was going to kill me and bury me in his backyard if he had heard it…

"Bella! Oh no, are you alright?" Alice's panicked voice sounded through the hallway as she ran up to me.

I slowly sat up, briefly checking if nothing was broken, but it seemed that everything was fine. Maybe my body had become immune to falling down, considering the fact that I did it at least once a week.

"I think I'm fine, Alice." I answered as she offered me her hand and helped me up.

"Thank god, you scared me." Alice sighed in relief.

"No need to worry about me, I survived. I'm not so sure about the vacuum cleaner, though. I'm very sorry, I was rushing down the stairs and I didn't watch where I was going." I rambled my apology.

She rolled her eyes. "I couldn't care less about the vacuum cleaner... What were you running from, anyway?" She asked suspiciously, expectantly quirking an eyebrow at me.

"Your brother." I mumbled. "Perhaps I should find another job, I think he hates me..."

Alice grimaced and spoke through gritted teeth. "Is he being his obnoxious self again? Just ignore his temper tantrums. Please stay, Bella. He doesn't hate you, he's that way to most people."

"I don't know, Alice... The way he acted just now... If I stayed, I'd be on edge the entire time, afraid to run into him again." I confessed.

"Alright, that's it, I'm going to have a word with him. It's time that he learns to act his age!" Alice growled.

"No! Wait! You don't have to do that." I protested, afraid of what his reaction would be if he knew that I had complained about his behavior.

"Yes, I do." Alice said, her tone was indicating that this was not a topic of discussion. "Why don't you take a break? Make yourself some tea or something, while I have a talk with the jerk who accidentally shares my DNA."

I snorted at her little joke and she reassuringly grinned back at me.

"Okay, thanks." I said quietly.

Alice determinedly walked up the stairs, a girl with a mission, and I was wondering what she was going to say to him. I headed for the kitchen, ignoring the vacuum cleaner, deciding that I would try to put it back together later.

I was deep in thought as I made some tea for myself, wondering if Edward would come downstairs and strangle me after Alice was done with him. I sat down at the breakfast bar, and blankly stared out of the window as I waited for the tea to cool off a little. Some time passed while I mindlessly watched the rain that was violently pouring down outside, until the sound of the kitchen door startled me.

I had expected it to be Alice, dropping by to give me a report on her talk with Edward, and so I flushed bright red when I looked up and saw that it was Edward himself. This had to be what it felt like to be one of those poor, little animals that you often saw on the Discovery Channel, right before they got shot by some heartless hunter.

He walked further into the kitchen, slowly moving in my direction, and he came to a stop at the other end of the breakfast bar. His penetrating, green eyes never left mine, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't stop myself from gazing back at him, a prisoner of his stare. He was rather close now, which resulted in me getting a better view of his eyes. They were emerald green, literally, and I frowned in surprise.

He hadn't said anything yet, and the silence was becoming unbearable, so I opened my mouth, against my better judgment.

"Do you need anything? Or do you want me to leave." I asked bravely, my voice breaking halfway through my sentence.

At this point I was seriously considering hiding in the cupboard under the sink.

"No…" Was his short reply, his tone blank.

Now that he wasn't yelling at me, I noticed that his voice sounded smooth like velvet.

"Oh…" I muttered, defeated.

"Actually, I came here to… apologize." He offered out of the blue.

He still didn't sound friendly, but at least he sounded normal. He shamelessly looked me up and down, and then his eyes came to rest on my face again. For a second he seemed to be concentrating deeply on something, and then his eyes turned a few shades lighter, gradually softening as they appraised me.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you, that was uncalled for." He added when I didn't speak, his tone still neutral.

I think my jaw hit the floor; he was apologizing! That was the last thing I would've expected. Had Alice used a death-threat or something like that? She was good!

"Oh, it's alright… It's your house, I guess I should've knocked." The words left my mouth without my permission.

Why was I being nice to him, apologizing even? He'd been a total jerk to me! I blamed those emerald green eyes. For some reason, they made me melt.

"Still, that was rude and irrational behavior." Edward insisted, his tone was almost polite now.

"You're forgiven." I said, my voice trembling slightly. "It's fine, really."

He gazed intently at me for a short moment before he spoke again.

"I scared you." He stated, not asked.

At least he was very observant, I had to give him that.

"A little." I admitted, blinking to avoid those eyes, if only for a split second. It didn't work at all, as soon as I looked him in the eye again, I was lost in those pools of emerald.

His rather neutral expression suddenly changed, and he frowned at me, seeming puzzled. "What are you thinking?" He asked bluntly.

My heart flipped at his question. What should I say? _I'm thinking about your eyes, Edward._ No way.

"Nothing." I blurted out.

His frown intensified, and his eyes were smoldering me. "You were looking so deep in thought…" He mused. "You can tell me, I don't bite."

Again I was a little shocked. Did he just try to make a joke?

"Nothing, it's just, your eyes." I mumbled.

_Oh no, why did I say that out loud?_ How did he do that? I didn't even like him!

Edward questioningly arched his eyebrows. "What about them?" He asked, his tone impassive.

"They're emerald green." I stated the obvious

I wanted to punch myself in the face. What was it with all this word-vomit coming out of my mouth?

"Yes… they are. So?" He probed.

At this point I was already so embarrassed that it didn't even matter anymore whether I told him my thoughts or not, and again, I answered him truthfully. "No one has emerald green eyes."

"That's not true. I do." He said matter-of-factly.

I let out a nervous laugh. "Yes, you do. I'm sorry, that was… weird."

"Well, if you think about it, we also started off a little weird." Edward reminded me quietly.

"Yes." I agreed while my hands restlessly started to fumble with the empty mug in front of me.

Edward seemed to be deliberating for a second, his eyes briefly wandering to rest on the mug between my hands.

"We could start over again, if you want to." He suggested, his eyes focusing on my face again.

"I would like that." I muttered.

"Alright then…" He said, extending his hand to me.

I was momentarily confused, but then it occurred to me that he wanted me to shake it. I hesitantly placed my hand in his, and he slowly shook it, never breaking eye contact.

"I'm Edward Cullen, it's nice to meet you." He officially introduced himself.

I cracked a smile at him without even thinking about it. "I'm Isabella Swan, but most people call me Bella, it's nice to meet you, too."

To my deep astonishment he returned my smile. It was a small, uneven smile, and it made him look considerably less intimidating. I lightly pulled back my hand, and he slowly let go of it.

"Well, I should get back to work, I've got a vacuum cleaner to fix." I announced dryly.

"Right… I'll see you around." He said in a casual tone.

He turned around and strode out of the kitchen without saying another word. I slowly got up from the bar stool, still a bit dazed. What was up with this guy? My money was on the multiple personality disorder. _Ding, ding, ding, we've got a winner! Eighteen year old Bella Swan from Forks gets to take home this brand-new refrigerator with built in icemaker!_

I wandered into the hallway, and I spotted Alice, standing next to the vacuum cleaner. The thing was in one piece again.

"Bella! I fixed it." She said nonchalantly.

I laughed. "That's supposed to be my job, but thanks. And thanks for… you know. He even apologized, did you brainwash him?" I asked, sincerely curious.

"That's my own, personal secret, my lips are sealed." Alice told me in a mysterious tone.

I snorted. "Well, whatever you did, it worked."

She grinned at me."You just have to know how to handle him... And I'm pretty sure that _you_ will learn to handle him, too, eventually. Trust me, I know..."

xxx

I vacuumed some more, mopped the entrance hall, did the dishes, and around five I went home to make myself some dinner. I hadn't seen Edward anymore after our encounter in the kitchen, but Alice had said goodbye when I'd left, and I had promised her that I would be back tomorrow.

I made a simple salad for myself, not really in the mood to make something complicated for dinner, and as I chewed it down my thoughts were preoccupied with today's events. All in all it hadn't been such a bad day… I had easily found a job, my salary was even better than at Newton's, and according to Alice, I had also made a new friend.

Alice truly was a nice girl, and it was easy to already think of her as a friend. Edward on the other hand… I didn't know what to think about him. The biggest part of me just wanted to avoid him as much as possible, seeing as he had scared the life out of me, the first time I'd seen him.

Unfortunately it wasn't that easy, because there also was that other part, the part that felt drawn to him, for some reason that I couldn't quite comprehend. Of course he was an actor, so I was sure that he could be charming if he wanted to be, seeing as that was his job… But still, apart from that, he seemed to have some natural charm that was hard to resist for me, despite his unkind behavior when I'd first ran into him.

The phone rang and I dropped my fork, startled by the sudden sound. I sprang up from my chair and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Isabella?" Regina's nasal voice questioned.

I groaned inwardly. Of course it was me, who else would pick up the phone here…

"Yes?" I said flatly.

"I'm glad you're home, I forgot to ask you something before I left." Regina said in a too innocent tone.

"What's that?" I asked unnecessarily. I knew very well what was coming; more chores.

"I need you to mow the lawn." She spat at me. "Oh, and Lauren wants to speak to you."

I clenched my jaw as I heard how she handed the phone to my evil stepsister, knowing that more chores were on the way. Surely Lauren didn't want to have a chat with me to tell me that she missed me.

"Bella! I need you to finish my English paper, it's on my desk and it's due Monday. I'm not even halfway, so hurry up!" She commanded.

"What? No, Lauren, I have to work on my own paper!" I protested.

"You'll manage! Oh, it's time for my massage! Adios." Lauren purred before she rudely hung up on me.

I threw the phone onto the kitchen table and groaned loudly.

What a great family I had… I was such a lucky girl. I mentally cursed them as I fell back into one of the kitchen chairs, wondering how long I would have to keep living like this. At least I had a job again. That was my only ticket out of here… During my last months of high school I would do my best to save enough money, and after that I would make sure that the university that I picked was far, far away from Forks…

* * *

_That's it for today! See you guys tomorrow! ;) _


	5. The Girlfriend

_Hi guys! :)_

_Thank you for reviewing; _**LexiLeothegreat909, Marijne, Emma, Namratha, Mouse555, Zookiel101, Missrain, Thari, Lizzy, 1PhantomPhreak8, Porkkana, Josefa (and the entire Children's Hospital in Panama City xD), AutumnUrie, Jordan, Silke112, Lizzie **_and_** Et1141412!**_ All your reviews make me smile! :D_

_And also; Thanks for the chocolate, LexiLeothegreat909, thanks for the cookie dough ice-cream, Lizzy, and thanks for all the cleaning supplies (hopefully Edward falls for it), Lizzie! xD_

_Lol, okay, since we're practically playing twenty questions here:_

_To LexiLeothegreat909: Yes, I do celebrate Easter. :p And I do have pets, I've got two dogs and four cats. :p I'm sorry to hear about your dog, though. Hope he'll get well soon! _

_Namratha: Will Edward stop being a brat soon? Just read and find out, but I promise you it won't take too long. ;)_

_To Mouse555 and 1PhantomPhreak8: What did Alice do to make him apologize? Alice was just being her scary self, we all know how Alice can be when she really wants something. ;)_

_To Thari: Yay, it's good to hear that I made your drive back home a little more interesting. :D_

_To Lizzy: No, I've never really watched Dancing on Ice. xD And sure, you can have a free, digital Edward to look after you. :D Good luck with your essay! But I'm sure it'll work out with Edward there to help you. xD_

_To Josefa and everyone at the hospital: Hi everyone! :p *smiles and waves* You guys aren't weird, you're awesome! And I'm glad you liked my Bella! _

_To Jordan: You'll read more about Tanya today, so the answer to your question is in this chapter. ;) And I suppose the amount of drama in this story will be about the same as in 'All I Never Wanted'. It's a whole different plot of course, but I'm sticking to my usual writing style. ;) Glad you like it so far!_

_To Silke112: Haha, geeft niets, een 'vacuum cleaner' is in het Nederlands een stofzuiger. ;) Als je nog meer vreemde woorden tegenkomt, vraag ze gerust!_

_To Lizzie: Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper will be in the story later. :)_

_Alright, moving on, chapter five! Funny fact of the day: The biggest part of this chapter was typed on a cell phone. xD Guess that shows how obsessed I am. xD_

* * *

**The Girlfriend**

I stayed up the entire night, because I had two English papers to finish before Sunday night; Mine, and Lauren's. I only slept for an hour or so, if you could really call it sleeping at all. Around seven in the morning I had fallen asleep with my head on my desk, unable to keep my eyes open any longer.

My alarm clock startled me awake around nine am, and in my surprise I fell out of my desk chair, crashing to the ground.

"Aaargh, what a nice way to start the day." I grumbled groggily as I crawled up again.

I glanced at the papers on my desk, which were almost done now. I would finish them later, first I was in desperate need of a shower and some breakfast.

I went through my usual morning routine, and after I had swallowed down some cornflakes, I quickly finished the papers. I was aware of the fact that it wasn't my best work, but I hoped that it would be good enough. I used the rest of the morning to clean the first floor and mow the lawn, just like Regina had instructed.

After a quick lunch I left for work, having mixed feelings about it. I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to being at the Cullen house again, or if I was dreading it. A little bit of both probably.

The same security guy that I'd seen yesterday was standing in front of the gate when I arrived, and when he spotted my truck he nodded, opening the gate for me without asking any questions. Sometimes it came in handy that my rusty, old vehicle was such an eye catcher.

I parked in front of the house, and this time when I walked up the porch steps to the front door, my stomach wasn't twisting with nerves. I rang the bell, and was caught by surprise when Edward was the one opening the door. He looked very nice today, to put it mildly. His hair was even more tousled than it had been yesterday, and the green shirt that he was wearing matched those gorgeous eyes of his.

"Hello, Bella." He greeted me. His face gave away nothing, but his tone was polite, friendly even.

"Hey, Edward." I cautiously replied, not sure what his mood would be.

"Come in." He said, gesturing for me to go inside.

I forced a smile onto my face as I walked past him. "Thank you."

I hung up my coat and wanted to head for the kitchen, where the closet with cleaning supplies was, when he stopped me.

"Wait… I think I should give you a key." He called after me.

I turned around and gave him another hesitant smile. "Yes, I suppose that would be helpful, in case I come here at times when you aren't at home."

He nodded and took a few steps towards me. "Exactly."

He searched the pocket of his jeans, and pulled out a silver key, handing it to me.

"Thank you." I said, sliding it into my own pocket.

I looked up at him and saw that he was gazing intently at me again, like he'd done in the kitchen, yesterday. Why was he doing that? It was almost impossible to free myself from his stare, but I pulled it off.

"I should get to work." I reminded him, putting an end to our silent staring-contest.

"Right…" He muttered, almost sounding reluctant.

I turned around for the second time, in a new attempt to get to the kitchen, when he stopped me again.

"Bella?"

Like the first time, I turned around in a reflex.

"Yes?"

"Are you feeling alright?" He asked, sounding concerned.

I felt confused. What was he talking about? "Ehm, sure. Why?"

"You look… very tired and worn out." He stated as his green eyes scanned my face.

"Oh that… Don't worry, nothing a little sleep can't fix." I said dismissively.

"What do you mean by that?" He pried.

I shrugged. "I didn't really sleep last night."

"Why not?" He asked in a rather demanding tone, his eyes watching me like a hawk.

What was wrong with this guy? He was blunt, nosy, and interfering with my personal life… But for some reason that was beyond me, I told him the truth, once again. "Because I didn't have _time_ to sleep."

"Why's that?" He mercilessly continued his interrogation, seemingly not aware that it was rather rude to question someone you hardly knew like this.

It made me wonder why he cared in the first place, because according to his sister, this wasn't Edward Cullen's usual behavior. He was supposed to be self-centered, so why did he care about what was going on with little old me? And most importantly; how was it possible that he was able to read me like a book, even though he hardly knew me?

"It's just my annoying stepfamily… It's a long story that I'm not going to bore you with." I tried to brush him off again.

"You don't bore me…" Edward mused, sounding as if he was genuinely surprised by that fact, himself. "I want to know. Why don't we sit down for a minute."

I didn't know how to react, but before I could even think about that, he gently grabbed my wrist and led me into the living room. He sat down at the light-wooden table, and motioned for me to follow his example. I was stunned, completely under his spell, and I complied.

"What about your stepfamily? Are they treating you bad?" He immediately resumed his cross-examination when I sat down across from him.

"I- I wouldn't say bad, they're just… treating me like their servant, most of the time." I gave him a censored version.

"They're paying you to work for them in your own house?" He pried for details.

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Pay me? I wish."

His perfect eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "That's not right…"

"Tell me about it." I responded dryly.

"Well, don't you have any family that you can turn to?" He asked after a short silence.

"No, they're the only family I've got left, I don't have much of a choice." I explained.

"Then can't you simply move out?"

I laughed at his absurd question. "Simply move out? I don't have any money, Edward. I can't just move out. Why do you think I need this job so much? I can't wait to go to college and leave Forks behind, but I need to save up enough money, first, otherwise I'll be stuck with them forever."

"Wow… that's really messed up." Edward concluded in a bleak tone.

I shrugged, pressing my lips into a line.

I was rather shocked by my own open-heartedness. What had I just done? I had informed this beautiful, scary stranger about all my personal problems. This was something that I'd never shared with anyone but Angela, and I'd only told her after I'd already known her for over three years… Did Edward Cullen have hypnotic powers, or something along those lines? Whatever it was, talking to him was scarily easy…

The muted sound of the doorbell suddenly sounded from the other side of the door, and Edward and I both sat a little straighter; we had both unconsciously leaned closer to each other, across the table.

"I should…" Edward murmured apologetically, waving his hand in the general direction of the entrance-hall.

"Yes." I agreed, letting him off the hook.

He was about to get up when Alice's chipper voice sounded from the hallway. "I'll get it!"

Edward leaned back in his chair again, and he smiled a nearly invisible smile at me. "If you ever are in serious trouble, or if there's anything I can do to help you, just let me know, alright?" He offered.

I was flabbergasted, totally speechless. Why wasn't he acting like the arrogant, selfish jerk that he was? Even his own sister had described him as an egoistic, moody brat, so why was he being so nice to me, all of the sudden?

It took me some time to find my voice again. "That's alright, thanks for listening."

The door of the living room opened, and Alice poked her head around the corner. "Sorry to disturb you guys, but it's for you, Edward." She said in a mock cheerful tone.

"Who is it?" Edward asked, glancing up at his sister.

"Your girlfriend." Alice announced gloomily, not even trying to cover up the fact that she wasn't too enthusiastic about Edward's girlfriend.

For an instant, I thought I saw Edward flinch as well, but I must've imagined it. Why would he be reluctant to see his girlfriend? There was no logic in that.

"We'll talk later, Bella." He told me with an apologetic smile.

He got up and walked out of the room, and Alice dramatically rolled her eyes the second he had closed the door behind him.

"You don't like his girlfriend?" I guessed.

"That would be an understatement." Alice complained. "Tanya Denali is an actress, and he met her on the set of one of his movies. She's the most annoying, shallow girl you'll ever meet."

"Oh, that sounds bad." I admitted.

"It _is_ bad, and you know what else? She was carrying a suitcase! An ugly, orange suitcase, I might add. Do you know what that means? She's planning on staying here for way longer than a few hours." Alice grumbled.

"Bummer… But wait, if Edward doesn't like that many people, how come he's dating the most annoying girl in the world?" I asked.

Alice made a funny face. "Because they're a perfect match, I think. They're both snobby, arrogant brats. That, and her looks. I honestly can't come up with another good reason why he fell for her."

"That makes sense, I guess… Well, good luck with that. At least you're lucky that it's a big house, you'll be able to avoid her." I got up from my chair and sympathetically patted her shoulder.

"Yeah, and if she gets too much, we could always lock her up in the basement." She said serenely, smiling at the thought.

"Works for me!" I replied, grinning at her. "Alright, I'm going to attack this house with a duster now."

"You do that, I'm going to finish decorating the guestroom and hide from Tanya, before she wants to have a 'sisterly' conversation with me." Alice said, visibly shuddering at the thought.

I skipped out of the room, and when I stepped into the hallway I was confronted with the image of Tanya and Edward, the two of them kissing passionately. Out of nowhere, I suddenly felt an unexplainable urge to kick this Tanya in the shins, but I wisely ignored it. Nonetheless, I didn't want to watch this, and I swiftly turned to the left, in the direction of the kitchen. My goal was to get away before one of them would notice me.

It turned out that I failed, for a high, girly voice called me back. "You there! Servant girl! I've had a long trip and I'm thirsty, get me a diet coke, two ice cubes!"

I turned around and gaped at her; that wasn't part of my job, was it? She had detached herself from Edward, and she was glaring at me, one of her hands mindlessly playing with a strand of her strawberry-blonde hair. She was beautiful, the looks of a supermodel, but her face was twisted into an unfriendly expression.

"Why are you still standing there, didn't you hear me? I'm thirsty!" She snapped again

"No, Tanya." Edward all but growled at her in a low voice. "Leave the girl alone, she's only here to do some cleaning. If you want coke you can get it _yourself_."

There were no words to describe how astonished I was. Did he seriously just pick _my side,_ instead of hers?

"What? But I'm exhausted, Eddie." She whined. "Besides, that's what servants are for, baby."

Edward sighed in defeat. "You know what, why don't you go upstairs, unpack your things and freshen up a little, and I'll get you that diet coke." He said exasperatedly.

"Oh… alright, thanks Eddie. And thanks for letting me stay here, you have no idea how excited I am to spend my three-day break with you!" She squealed.

Edward smiled mechanically at her. "Sure…"

She pecked him on the lips before she darted up the stairs, throwing her wavy hair over her shoulder with a dramatic sweep.

"I'm sorry about her. Tanya is… used to a different lifestyle." Edward apologized as soon as she was out of sight.

I shook my head. "Don't mention it, I'm used to stuff like this." I reminded him.

"That doesn't make it right." Edward argued. "She'll be staying here for a few days, but I just want you to know that you're not obliged to take any of her orders, okay?"

"Okay…" I repeated slowly.

"Good. I'm going to find her some coke now, before she freaks out." Edward said, his lips curving up into a tiny smile.

I couldn't help but laugh, and he also let out a small chuckle at his girlfriend's expense. More questions popped up in my head, because _why _was he making fun of his own girlfriend in front of the servant girl? This guy truly came with a manual…

xxx

I finally got started with my dusting-activities. I made sure to clean the entire house, and all the while I was racking my brain, thinking about everything that had happened during the last few hours. Why did I have a strong feeling that Alice wasn't the only one who wasn't very fond of Tanya? Edward himself had seemed far from happy with Tanya's arrival... And there was something else disturbing me… Why had I felt so horrible when I'd watched him kiss her? I didn't even really like him, not in that way at least… Did I?

After a while I tried to suppress all my chaotic thoughts, swiftly finishing the last few rooms. When I was done and stalked into the kitchen to store away my cleaning supplies, I saw Alice standing at the stove, making dinner.

"Hey there! Done for today?" She greeted me, never taking her eyes away from the vegetables that she was chopping.

"Yep, all done." I said cheerfully.

"Great. So, how are you liking this job so far?" She asked conversationally.

"It's great, no complaints here." I told her honestly, leaning against the sink next to her.

"Good… And I saw that you and my brother are getting along, as well." Alice said, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I smirked at her. "He was very nice to me today… I can't believe that I'm saying this, but he isn't as bad as you said he was."

Alice frowned briefly. "You see, that's the thing, he never is this nice to anyone, especially not people that he doesn't know very well… It's weird to see him act like this, I think you're a good influence on him."

"I am? But I didn't do anything."

"Perhaps you didn't, but for some reason, you fascinate him. He likes you a lot, Bella, I can tell. He hasn't reacted this way to anyone, not in a long time."

"That's strange… But I'm not complaining, he can be pretty scary when he wants to be, so I prefer this friendly, caring Edward." I joked.

"Well, whatever it is that you're doing, please don't stop." Alice said, looking up at me for the first time since I'd entered the kitchen. She appeared to be very serious.

"I'll try…" I promised, even though I wasn't sure what she expected me to do. "Hey Alice, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot." She said, turning her attention back to the vegetables.

"Why is he like that? I mean, you're his sister, and you're nothing like that, so I assume that it has nothing to do with the way he was raised..." I asked cautiously, hoping that I wasn't being to bold.

Alice seemed to be in thought for a while, and I briefly feared that she wasn't going to answer me, but after a short silence, she did.

"You're right, this has nothing to do with a problematic childhood, Carlisle and Esme are the most loving parents anyone could ever ask for. I think the fame has infected his brain, because when he was younger, he used to be a friendly kid… I guess it's that, along with the stress of his job. He was only fifteen when he started his career as a professional actor, and in hindsight, I think that it was all a bit too much for him to take." She shared her theory with me.

"Is that why he came here? The stress and such?"

"Yes, he hinted several times that he needed a break, and mom and dad agreed with him… I'm guessing that they also want him to get back to his old self again. They're not blind, and they don't like how he has changed."

"I see…" I murmured.

"Which is why it's good that you are around, it'll help him, I just know. Too bad that his stupid girlfriend had to show up and mess with the plan." Alice complained. "Ah well, she'll be gone in a few days."

"The plan? What plan?" I asked, completely clueless.

"You'll see in time, since _you_ are the biggest part of the plan." She said cryptically.

"What do you mean?" I tried again.

Alice merely smiled a knowing smile. "Patience, my dear, patience… You don't have to do anything, just your job. I've got a feeling that the rest will happen on its own…"

* * *

_Thanks for reading! :) New update tomorrow, perhaps a bit later than usual, seeing as I'm leaving now, for a sleepover with my BFF. xD_


	6. Escaping

_Hey guys! :)_

_I'm back, the sleepover was a lot of fun. xD_

_Thank you for reviewing; _**Lizzie, Jordan, Lizzy, Emma, Marijne, Porkkana, Et1141412, Bella'Swan'22, Jrow1107, Thari, AutumnUrie, Sara Lautner, xostaybeautiful, LexiLeothegreat909, Rosaa, Mouse555, Namratha, Silke112, Xtina316, Porcelain-Shadow**_ and _**Lisa! **_You guys are awesome! :D_

_And also; thanks for the gift set, Lizzie, thanks for the lifetime supply of drinks, Lizzy, thanks for the friendward, Bella'Swan'22, and thanks for the makeup, LexiLeothegreat909! xD_

_To Jordan: Of course I remember your name. ;) And the answer to your questions is; Both. But it will all be explained later. _

_To Lizzy: Sure, you can keep Eddie. xD_

_To Thari: Holy mother of crap. O_o That's not a review, that's an entire book! xD Wow, you finally reached your goal, the 10000 characters limit. xD Right now I am questioning your sanity. xD But I still love you and adore your reviews! :D By the way, I also bought the New Moon DVD today! :D We're made of awesome. xD_

_To Rosaa: Wow, it's cool to hear that you like this story so much that you use your time to read this, instead of catching up on some much needed sleep. :D_

_To Namratha: No, they're not adopted. ;)_

_To Silke112: Haha, de rest denkt vast dat dit een of andere vage geheimtaal is. :p _

_To Lisa: Thanks for catching up! :D Glad you're already becoming an addict. xD And let me see if I can involve you in Alice's awesome plan, give me a second to get rid of Bella. ;)_

_Okay, so this was all hurry, hurry, hurry. Hope I didn't forget anyone, if I did, feel free to kick my butt! _

_New chapter, enjoy! :)_

* * *

**Escaping**

I banished Alice's cryptic words from my mind, knowing that it was no use to break my head over them. I would find out eventually, and in the meantime I could only hope that this big plan of hers wasn't going to make my life any more complicated than it already was…

When I got home around six I was tired, but satisfied. The house was clean, the lawn was mowed, and Lauren's homework was finished. I was done with all my chores and Regina and Lauren weren't even home, yet. I made myself some dinner; lasagna, to be precisely, and I enjoyed it in peace before the wicked stepfamily was back to bother me.

They came home around seven, just as I was doing the dishes. Regina strode in first, wearing a pink ensemble today, ignoring me completely and skipping into the living room without even giving me a second look or a 'hello'. Lauren, on the other hand, started to ramble at me as soon as she noticed me.

"Bella! Is my paper finished?" She asked.

"Yes, it's in your room, on your desk."

"Oh… good." She muttered, probably disappointed that she didn't have a good reason to yell at me.

"Are you sure that you've cleaned the entire house, Isabella?" Regina suddenly called from the living room.

"Yes." I tiredly called back. "Everything's done."

Lauren grabbed herself a glass of water, and casually leaned against the kitchen table.

"Ah well, you've got more than enough free time now, don't you. Seeing as you got _fired_." Lauren taunted me, a mock sympathetic smile on her face.

Ha, it would be so much fun to burst her bubble! "Actually, I've already found a new job." I informed her smugly.

"You did?" Lauren shrieked.

"Yes, as a housekeeper." I gave her some details, but not too many.

I had to make sure that Lauren didn't find out _who _I was cleaning for. If she knew that I was working at Edward Cullen's place, and that I actually talked to him frequently, god knows what she would come up with to get to him. There was _no way_ that I was going to put myself in the middle of that.

"Cleaning… Yeah, sounds like the perfect job for you." Lauren muttered with a snort.

"I thought so." I replied indifferently, ignoring her insult because I was relieved that she didn't ask for any more details.

Lauren snickered. "It'll be a good practice for you, since cleaning is probably what you'll be doing for the rest of your miserable life..."

xxx

On Monday morning I woke up feeling rather well rested after a good night's sleep. I left the house early, in an attempt to avoid both Regina and Lauren before they could come up with some more chores to keep me away from school, and I succeeded.

For the first time in weeks I was on time for my first class, and Angela was genuinely surprised when I caught up with her just as she was about to enter the Biology classroom.

"Bella! Wow, you're early, did you put sleeping pills in their coffee last night?" She asked, feigning a conspiratorially tone.

I laughed. "No, not really, but I'll keep that plan in mind."

We sat down at our desks, and I searched my bag for my notebook.

"So, are you having any luck with finding a new job?" Angela asked as we waited for Mr. Banner to start class.

"Yes! I've already found something, and it wasn't even hard! I saw an advert in the local newspaper, made a phone call, and after a short interview I was hired. I could start right away!" I told her enthusiastically. "As from now on, I'm officially a housekeeper."

Angela smiled widely. "That's great! I mean, it's not the most fancy job, but it's a miracle that you managed to find a job here in Forks in the first place."

"True. I was lucky for once. And I don't care that it's not a dream job, I'd clean gutters to get out of here."

"Who are you working for? A family I know?" Angela questioned.

That was definitely a trick question, seeing as everyone knew everyone in this tiny town. I fumbled with the pen in my hands, deciding if it would be wise to spread the news… But then, this was Angela, my loyal friend. I could trust her not to spill the beans if I asked her to keep it quiet.

"If I told you, I would have to kill you." I joked. "Edward Cullen." I added in a whisper.

"What!" She exclaimed rather loudly, holding her hand over her mouth as she realized that some of our classmates were staring at her.

"Don't tell anyone, please. If Lauren finds out, I'm toast." I pleaded.

Angela composed herself, and she smiled reassuringly at me. "Of course I won't tell, I promise."

"Thanks, you're the best." I said sincerely.

"So… have you talked to him?"

My mouth involuntarily turned up into a smile. "Yes, I have…"

"And? Is he nice? Or is he the horrible person that the gossip magazines claim he is." Angela pressed.

"He's alright…" I muttered, not sure what the most accurate answer to her question should be.

"Alright, huh? Wait… I have to ask you this one thing! Are his eyes _really_ emerald green, or is that merely because of this magical invention called Photoshop?"

I playfully rolled my eyes at her. "Believe me, they're as emerald green as eyes can get…"

xxx

After four hours of class, lunch break arrived, and Angela and I were sitting at our usual table in the east corner of the cafeteria. Lauren hardly ever spoke to me at school, terrified that talking to me would have a negative influence on her spotless reputation, so it surprised me when she and Jessica Stanley walked up to our lunch table.

"Bella! Let's keep this short, I need you to do something for me." She snapped as soon as she was in my hearing range.

"It's nice to see you, too, Lauren." I retorted.

She stopped right in front of our table. Jessica was motionlessly standing next to her, looking anywhere but at me and Angela. She had that typical 'something-here-smells-nasty' look on her face, and she completely ignored us.

"Whatever. Jess and I are going shopping after school, and mom will drive because she and Jessica's mom have some shopping of their own to do. Since my car will stay at home, I want you to wash it, it's truly filthy."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I'll do it later this week, I have to get to my job after school."

"You can go to your job later, I need my car washed! Oh, and make sure to do my Spanish homework, I don't have time to do it myself with all the shopping." She commanded. "See ya."

She nearly ran away from our table, inconspicuously sneaking a glance around the room to check if no one had seen her talking to her loser-stepsister.

"That girl knows no shame." Angela remarked quietly.

I sighed and buried my head in my hands. "Nope, none whatsoever."

When the bell rang, signaling that lunch break had ended, I had come up with a new tactic. My big plan was to ditch my last hour, gym class, hoping that it would give me some extra time to get all my work done. With my clumsiness, gym class was a subject that I was bound to fail anyway, so I didn't feel too guilty about it.

I sneaked away after trig class, and hurried home. I was glad that Regina wasn't there, probably already over at Mrs. Stanley's place, and I spread out my books on the kitchen table. I would do Lauren's homework first, then I would wash her car, and after that, I could go to the Cullen house. It was a good thing that Alice had suggested the flexible working hours, otherwise I never would've been able to keep this up for long.

Unlike trig, Spanish wasn't a problem for me, and after thirty minutes I was finished. I cleared the table, and moved on to the next point on my list; washing Lauren's car. I was just filling a bucket with soapy water, when the doorbell interrupted me.

"I'm coming!" I yelled, turning off the faucet and drying my hands.

I stumbled into the small hallway and answered the door, nearly having a heart attack when I saw who was standing in front of it.

"Edward! What are you doing here?" I asked, my tone sounding a bit more rude than I'd intended; he had caught me off guard.

"I can leave, if this is a bad timing." He immediately answered in that musical voice.

"What… No! No, it's fine, Edward. Do you want to… come in?"

"Yes, if that's alright." He answered, his tone polite.

For the first time since I'd met him, he smiled a real smile. A smile that touched his eyes, making them glow. I couldn't help but beam back at him.

I let him in and led the way to the kitchen.

"I'm not disturbing you, am I?" He checked a second time.

"Not at all, you're lucky that my evil stepfamily is out for the afternoon."

"Why? Aren't you even allowed to have friends over?" He asked warily.

Secretly I felt a little proud when he practically qualified himself as my 'friend'.

"Ehm, yes, I think I am, but it would end badly for you." I stated dryly. "My stepsister Lauren is the crazy fan who brought you the cake. Maybe you've heard about it? Although she told me that she didn't even make it past the security guy..."

"Oh, yes, he told me about that. That was your stepsister, huh? Glad I didn't eat that cake, god knows what she did to it." He said darkly, grinning a little at me.

"No, the cake was safe." I assured him. "I was the one who baked it."

"Figures." Edward said, disapprovingly shaking his head. "She really doesn't give you a break, does she?"

"No… But enough about my dreadful stepfamily. Did you have a purpose, visiting me?" I asked politely.

An important moment in the history of mankind was created, when Edward Cullen _blushed_, something that seemed very out of character for him.

"Swear you won't laugh." He warned me.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "That horrible? But alright, I swear on my life." I said in an official tone.

"I'm trying to escape Tanya for a while. She's driving me insane, and I didn't know where else to go, since I don't know anyone here." He confessed, running one of his hands through his messy hair. He often seemed to do that when he was nervous.

I laughed anyway, and he directed a playful scowl at me.

"You swore!" He complained.

"Sorry, I hadn't seen that one coming. So do you… want to talk about it?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't want him to think that I was being nosy.

He shrugged.

"Why don't you sit down. Can I make you some coffee, or tea, or anything? Diet coke with two ice cubes?" I joked, wanting to cheer him up a little.

It worked, because he chuckled as he sat down on one of the chairs, his green eyes seeming less troubled for a short moment. "A regular coke without ice cubes will be just fine."

I poured us both a glass of coke, and also sat down at the table. Here in our old, undersized kitchen, Edward looked as out of place as I was sure I usually looked at his fancy mansion.

"Okay, spit it out, what did she do?" I encouraged him, not really expecting that he would spill his guts to me, buy trying anyway.

Edward sighed, sounding frustrated. "That's the point, she didn't do anything, she's merely being her irritating self… I couldn't tolerate her for another second."

"Oh… but, she wasn't always like that, then?" I carefully questioned him further, now that he had started talking.

Edward was deep in thought for a moment. "Actually, I think she was, but it never bothered me. Not until now." He mused. "It's weird, because when I first met her, four months ago, I truly liked her... But then we started dating, and the more time I spent with her, the more she began to annoy me. And right now… I don't know how I feel…"

"Things can change." I simply said, trying to hide the fact that I was shocked that he was confiding in me to begin with.

"I know, but it seems such a drastic change… During the first weeks of our relationship, I used to love hanging out with her, and then yesterday when she suddenly visited, I wasn't even happy to see her… And then she kissed me, and I didn't feel _anything_… I mean, I know that you're right, things can change, but as far as I can see she hasn't changed a bit since we started dating…" His words were flowing swiftly now, and he sounded truly puzzled.

"Perhaps not, but maybe _you _have changed. Did you ever think about that?" I said, smiling tentatively at him.

There was a short, but not uncomfortable silence, and his eyes were on mine the entire time. What I wouldn't give to know what he was thinking, to know what was going on behind those green orbs.

"That's a very good point... You're a smart girl, Isabella Swan." Edward complimented me, breaking the silence and warmly smiling back at me.

I still had some trouble adjusting to his nice behavior towards me, but my heart spluttered hyperactively as he said my name.

"Why thank you, Mr. Cullen."

"So, you asked me why I am here, and what it comes down to… I need some time to sort out my feelings for her, and I can't do that when she's constantly clinging to my arm, calling me Eddie and reminding me about all the reasons why I'm annoyed by her in the first place." He summarized, wrinkling his nose as he said 'Eddie'.

"Not a fan of her little nickname?" I concluded teasingly.

"You have no idea." He muttered sulkily.

"Well, I understand… So feel free to stay for a while. If you get bored you can watch TV. Or you can use my computer, though I have to warn you that it's a piece of junk."

He frowned at me, those green eyes boring into mine. "What will _you_ do then?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry, I can't entertain you, I have to make sure that Lauren's car gets washed before she gets back." I said sourly.

Edward groaned. "Why do you keep taking her orders?"

"Because I don't have a choice, Edward! If I disobey, she will just make up some story to make sure that Regina kicks me out. My life won't be any easier when I'm homeless, so I'll just have to endure it for another few months."

"She's blackmailing you." He said blankly.

"Basically, yes, and there's no point in fighting her. That's why I'm going to get my ass outside and wash her shiny, black Mercedes, which is probably paid from the college money that my father had saved up for me before he died." I announced, feigning a cheery tone.

I got up and walked over to the sink. Edward's penetrating gaze never left me, and his face looked more earnest than I'd ever seen it. I turned away from him to turn on the faucet again, and he was silent for a moment.

"You have a ridiculous amount of bad luck." He commented suddenly.

I glanced back at him and let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah, so I've noticed. It's a miracle that I'm still alive after eighteen years of walking the earth." I said jokingly.

I turned off the faucet and lifted the bucket out of the sink, placing it on the kitchen floor.

"So, will you be okay?" I asked him.

"I'll help you." He volunteered unexpectedly.

I skeptically raised an eyebrow at him. "You're aware that washing a car is like working, right? You might get tired." I teased him.

He rolled his pretty green eyes. "Oh I know, I'll take my chances…"

* * *

_That's it for today! See you guys tomorrow. ;)_


	7. Friend

_Hey everyone! :D_

_Thanks for reviewing; _**Lizzie, Thari, 1PhantomPhreak8, Mrs. M Cullen, Heal my bleeding heart, Sara Lautner, Jrow1107, Et1141412, AutumnUrie, Namratha**_, _**Porkkana, Lizzy, ****Miss F Cullen **_and_** Silke112!**_ You guys are awesome, I always smile while reading all those great reviews! :D_

_Also, thanks for the Bitch-Slap-Alice (xD), Lizzie, and thanks for the Haribos, Lizzy! :D_

_To Thari: Your reviews keep cracking me up. xD You're totally nuts. In a good way, I must add. :p_

_To Et1141412: Lol, I can totally picture it, sitting in a car, reading this on the tiny screen of a Blackberry. xD But yes, what you said does make sense, that's what I'm aiming for, some chemistry between them. ;) So I'm glad that you think I'm doing it right! :D_

_To Lizzy: Sure, have a free, digital Jasper as well, I'm like Santa Claus. :p_

_To Silke112: Uhu, New Moon is helemaal geweldig! :D En bedankt voor je idee, ik vind het altijd leuk als mensen ideeën delen. Maar heel veel stukken/hoofdstukken zijn al geschreven, dus ik heb er vaak niet zoveel ruimte meer voor om ze te gebruiken. xD Al kan ik al wel verklappen dat er iets soortgelijks in gaat zitten, ik geloof ik hoofdstuk zeven of acht. xD Geen naakte Edward helaas, misschien ooit later. :p  
_

_Alright, new chapter, have fun peeps! _

* * *

**Friend**

I had some trouble keeping my eyes away from Edward while we were both working on Lauren's car. I briefly had to laugh inwardly at the thought of what her reaction would be if she knew that the one and only Edward Cullen had washed her car… Not that I would _ever_ tell her that.

"You're supposed to watch the car instead of me. This way, you can't see what you're cleaning." He scoffed teasingly at some point.

My cheeks heated up instantly. _Busted…_ "Sorry, I can't help it, it's like watching a car accident; you don't want to watch, but for some reason you can't take your eyes away. I mean come on, famous movie star Edward Cullen washing a car, it's a very unique situation."

"I've washed a car before!" He protested, pouting a little.

Oh no, it made him look even cuter… I quickly fixed my gaze on Lauren's car again.

"I was only teasing you." He suddenly muttered in a gentle tone, probably thinking that he had upset me.

I stopped washing for a second and looked up, right into those hypnotic, green eyes. He had also stopped washing, and glanced up at me from under his lashes.

"I know." I mumbled, flushing again. "I'm going to get the garden hose to rinse." I added, hoping to distract him from my overheated face.

I went inside to get the garden hose, and when I got back outside, Edward stopped washing and stepped away from the car. I turned on the hose and started to circle the car, rinsing it. Edward was watching me all the while, and it made me feel very self-conscious, but I tried to ignore it.

I made sure that my eyes were focused on the car the entire time, but unfortunately I forgot to watch where I placed my clumsy feet… I tripped over the hose, and I was mentally preparing myself for a painful encounter with the ground, like I'd had so many before.

It never came, and at first, I was too surprised to realize what had happened. Usually, my clumsy actions would go something like this: I tripped, I fell down, I felt pain. That was the regular procedure, because _no one_ was ever there to catch me. No one cared if Bella Swan fell flat on her face. But then I became aware of his strong arms around me, holding me up. My heart threatened to jump out of my chest, and I slowly turned around in his arms.

I looked up at him, my cheeks flaming for the umpteenth time, and he smiled crookedly, scattering my last coherent thoughts. His beautiful face was fairly close to mine, and my heart thumped unevenly.

"Be careful." He whispered, his breath blowing against my face, making my head swim.

He still hadn't released me, even though I didn't need his support anymore at this point. I didn't complain, because the inevitable truth was that I didn't _want_ him to let go. What the hell was wrong with me? Surely I wouldn't fall for Mr. Movie Star… But nevertheless, it felt so safe and comforting to be in his arms… And he smelled amazing, too.

"Thank you… For catching me." I mumbled.

"Anytime. I'm glad that I could at least save you from one of your countless accidents." He said sincerely, smiling sweetly, his green eyes soft and gentle.

I thought I was going to faint when he briefly hugged me closer to his chest, lightly kissing the top of my head before he freed me from his embrace. It was such a sweet gesture, but I had no clue what to make of it…

It had to be a way to express friendship, right? It couldn't be anything else… He had a girlfriend, for crying out loud! But it was hard to be sure, seeing as Angela was the only real friend I'd ever had until now. I'd never had any guy-friends, and so I wasn't well informed when it came to the unwritten rules of hanging out with a guy who was just a friend.

We stared at each other in silence for a while, Lauren's car long forgotten, until I heard the distant sound of the phone ringing, inside the house.

"I should get that." I said reluctantly.

Edward nodded. "Sure, I'll finish the rinsing."

I sprinted inside, picking up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed. "Edward's missing, and I'm a bit worried. I know it's a long shot, but did you happen to see him?"

I laughed. "I've seen him. He's outside, washing my stepsister's car."

Alice gasped in shock. "Washing a car? Are we talking about the same Edward? How many Edwards do you know?"

I let out a snort and played along. "Let me check… Bronze hair, emerald green eyes, pale face… Is that the Edward you're looking for?"

"That's him, alright." Alice said, sounding awed. "And you're talking about _me_ brainwashing him. What did _you_ do to him?"

"Nothing. He offered to help me out of free will." I answered honestly.

"Unbelievable… Is he being a pain in the ass? If you want me to come over there and drag him away…" She trailed off suggestively.

"He's on his best behavior." I assured her. "He's been nothing but sweet."

"Sweet? Okay, I'm giving up… What is he doing there anyway?" Alice questioned.

"Escaping his girlfriend."

"Oh, well in that case I suggest he makes a run for it, she's looking for him as we speak. She just drove off, and Forks isn't that big."

"Shit! She's looking for him?" I cursed.

"Yep, so go save him, we'll talk later."

"Right, thanks for the heads up! Bye, Alice."

"See you, Bella." She greeted me.

I dropped the phone and skipped outside, where Edward was still spraying the car with the garden hose, totally oblivious to the impending danger.

"Edward, Tanya is looking for you." I filled him in.

His head snapped up, his face turning into a mask of horror. "Oh no, I have to go before she finds me." He said, letting out a frustrated groan.

I took the hose from him and turned it off, giving him a sympathetic look.

"You know, I don't want to interfere with your life, but you'll have to talk to her eventually… Whether it is to work things out or to tell her that it isn't going to work anymore, you can't keep running from her forever." I advised.

"I know that... Just not right now. I don't want to." Edward huffed, briefly showing his spoiled-brat-side. His tone reminded me of the tone that a small child would use when refusing to go home after a fun day at a carnival.

"Alright, whatever you want." I muttered, defensively holding up my hands, not looking for an argument with spoiled-Edward. "I'll see you later, then."

He didn't speak, or move, but glanced at his shiny Volvo for a moment. Then he looked back at me, and a mischievous sparkle touched his eyes.

"Go out to dinner with me?" He asked out of the blue, his eyes smoldering me.

I gaped at him like a moron, due to the sudden change of subject. "What?"

"You heard me… I need some distraction, and I want to avoid Tanya. We could go to, I don't know, Port Angeles or something. I'm sure there's a restaurant there, somewhere."

"Edward, I don't have time for that! I'm supposed to go over to your place to clean, remember?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Who cares about that. I'm your boss, and I hereby declare that you have the night off."

I sighed, giving him a wary look. "I need the money, Edward, you know why..."

He shrugged dismissively. "I'll pay you anyway, for babysitting me. It's a nasty job."

"No, I can't accept that." I argued.

"Yes you can, and you will. Please..."

He was close to begging now, and I wondered how it had ever gotten this far… The most beautiful man in the world had turned from an arrogant asshole to a friendly, charming guy in less than three days, and he was eager to spend time with me, practically forcing me to go out to dinner with him. I was about to refuse his offer for the third time, when there it was again… That small, endearing pout that knocked down all my defenses.

"Fine, I'll go!" I said, at the same time cursing myself. With my bad luck, this was bound to end in trouble.

He smiled brilliantly. "Thank you, Bella. Let's go."

I swiftly stored away the cleaning supplies and locked the front door, before walking back to his Volvo. To my surprise Edward was standing at the passenger side, holding the door open for me.

"Thanks." I said quietly, blushing again at the well-mannered gesture.

"You're welcome." He said, smirking at me.

He walked around the front and also got into the car, starting the engine and immediately driving off. I gazed out of the window of his car as houses and trees passed by, my mind filled with a gazillion thoughts. Why did Edward Cullen want to spend his time with boring Bella Swan? This boy had to be in desperate need of a friend… That theory probably wasn't too far off the mark. Maybe he just felt lonely…

"You're not mad at me, are you?" He spoke, stopping my train of thought.

I turned my head in order to look at him, arching an eyebrow at him. "Mad? Why would I be mad at you?"

"Because I nearly forced you to come with me." He said quietly, sounding somewhat ashamed.

I let out a short laugh. "Believe me, if I truly didn't want to come with you, I wouldn't be here right now."

"That's a relief." Edward responded, his tone lighter now. "So you secretly like hanging out with me!" He added, triumphant.

"Don't flatter yourself… It's bearable, being around you." I teased him.

"You sure know how to boost a man's ego."

"You're welcome."

We playfully bickered during the rest of the ride, and when we reached Port Angeles, Edward stopped at the first restaurant that we came across. He parked the car, and warned me to stay in my seat until he helped me out. I didn't argue with him, mainly because I thought that the whole opening-doors-thing was cute. He helped me out of the car, and he also held the door of the restaurant open for me, motioning that I should go first.

We entered the place, and I noticed that it was rather crowded. Even with the overload of guests, we didn't have to wait long before a young waitress with short, blonde hair walked up to us, without a doubt lured in by Edward's appearance.

"Good evening, table for two?" She spoke, shamelessly ogling Edward.

"Yes, please. Something a little private, if that's possible." Edward said curtly, his sudden cold tone taking me by surprise.

"Right, follow me." She said, sounding almost excited, not discouraged by Edward's rather unfriendly reaction.

She led us to a table in a corner that was fairly secluded, and she fished her bloc note out of her pocket as we both sat down.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink?" She asked, her tone shaking with excitement now.

We ordered our drinks, and I saw that she had some trouble keeping her hand still as she wrote down our order. What was bothering her? Was this all about Edward? When she was done she made a move to take off, but apparently she changed her mind, for she turned back towards our table again.

She bit her lip and her face was resembling the color of a tomato.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but could I please have your autograph, Mr. Cullen?" She asked Edward, ducking her head as soon as the words were out.

I knew that he was supposed to be world-famous, but he and I had never been out together in a public place, so this was all new to me. Edward looked deeply annoyed, and I thought that he was going to tell the girl off… But then he glanced at me for a split second, his irritated expression gradually disappearing, and he forced a smile onto his face.

"Sure." He replied, this time making an effort to sound civil.

Wow, was it just me, or was he trying to behave because I was with him? If that were the case, I would have to hang out with him more often... That would help him to get rid of that snobby image of his.

She smiled radiantly as she handed him the bloc note, and he wrote down his name in an elegant script. She beamed at him one more time when he handed it back to her, and then, to my surprise, she turned to look at me.

"Are you Mr. Cullen's girlfriend?" She asked shyly.

I laughed out loud before I could stop myself. The idea that someone thought that Edward wanted a plain Jane like me was hilarious, to say the least.

"No." I answered quickly when both she and Edward gave me questioning looks, seeing as I had just laughed like a maniac. "I'm his…"

_Yeah, his what? His housekeeper? His servant? His sister's friend?_

Before I could pick one, he answered for me.

"Bella's my friend." He told the girl.

She grinned at him. "Ah, I see. Well, I'll be right back with your order. And thanks for the autograph!"

She disappeared in the crowd, and I made a face at Edward.

"What?" He asked, humor in his voice.

"Nothing, I think I didn't realize until now how famous you actually are." I admitted.

"I'm sorry if that annoys you." He apologized.

"No, it's fine… So I'm your friend, huh?" I checked to make sure that he had meant it.

"Only if you want to be." He said, abruptly sounding unsure.

"Let me think…" I mused, feigning a thoughtful expression. "Yeah, I guess it's okay."

"Good. In that case, you're my friend." He confirmed, flashing me the uneven grin that I adored so much, his eyes lighting up.

The girl came back with our drinks, and handed us the menus. We both picked something, and she wrote it down, her hand moving steadily this time. She took off again, and I was eager to interrogate Edward.

"Why?" I asked as if we hadn't been interrupted at all.

"Why what?" He asked, confusion evident in his green eyes.

"Why do you want me to be your friend? Why me, of all people." I refined my question.

He looked slightly taken aback for a moment. "Why wouldn't I want you as my friend?" He answered, playing dumb.

"Because according to Alice, you don't go around making friends at random. She said you rarely ever are this nice to people…" I stated bravely, aware that I was relentlessly confronting him with his not-so-friendly side.

He was silent for an immeasurable moment, and his flawless face remained composed, but blank.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" I started.

He held up his hand to silence me. "It's fine… She's right. Alice, I mean. And the answer to your question is; I don't know." He said softly.

"You honestly don't know?" I probed, still curious.

"Not really…"

"Will you let me know when you find out?" I asked.

He chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "You're unbelievable, Isabella Swan. But yes, if I ever find out, I promise I'll let you know."

"Okay… But I take it you _do _know why you're behaving so coldly to other people…" I asked tentatively, hoping that I wasn't annoying him with my little interrogation.

He was back to serious, his features tensing. "Yes, I do…"

"Won't you tell me?" I made my tone mild, silently communicating that I didn't expect him to answer me if he didn't feel like doing so.

"I'll tell you some other time, now's not the moment for me to bother you with my issues." He answered, diplomatically dodging my question.

"I see, I'll be patient, then." I said, smiling lightly at him.

The waitress interrupted us again, placing our food on the table. As we started eating the conversation turned lighter. We talked about all kinds of random stuff, and I discovered that talking to Edward wasn't hard at all. He seemed highly interested in my boring life, shooting all sorts of questions at me, and even though I couldn't understand his motivations, I answered almost all of them. My salmon was delicious, and it occurred to me that it had been a very long time since I had eaten such a fancy dinner, or that I had enjoyed myself like this.

"Still no regrets about coming with me?" He asked casually once we were almost done eating.

"None whatsoever. The food's great, the company isn't too bad, either… Count me in, the next time you're escaping Tanya." I said, grinning.

"You'll be the first one I'll call." He vowed, his eyes sparkling with humor again.

We both laughed quietly, and for a second I felt lighter and happier than I had felt in ages; Edward was an expert when it came to making me forget about my worries, as well as taking away my mind from my stupid stepfamily.

And then the clock struck twelve. Well, not literally, but the effect was similar.

"Eddie!" Tanya's shrill voice sounded through the restaurant, causing both Edward and I to cringe visibly.

"Oh no…" Edward croaked, his eyes panicked.

Tanya came into sight, and my mouth went dry as she swiftly moved in our direction. She came to a stop when she reached our table, giving me a look of pure, unadulterated disgust, and then turning to Edward, giving him a poisonous glare.

When she spoke, her normally high, girly voice was low and menacing. "I've been looking all over for you! What the hell are you doing here with the servant girl…"

* * *

_Thank you for reading! :D New chapter tomorrow!_


	8. Freed

_Hey there! :D_

_Thanks for leaving all those wonderful reviews; _**Mrs. M Cullen, Emma, Thari, Heal my bleeding heart, Lizzie, Xtina316, Jordan, Lolz2kaii9, Han1212, Porkkana, Masenej, Rosaa, Mouse555, Silke112, Et1141412, Rosalies-Evil-Twin, Lizzy, Jrow1107, Gnomegirl13, Lisa, Sara Lautner, Josefa and all my other fans at the hospital (xD), LexiLeothegreat909**_, _**Sprinter1 **_and_** AutumnUrie! **_Everyone gets a big, digital hug! _

_And also; Thanks for the Skittles, Heal my bleeding heart, thanks for the published version of All I Never Wanted (Yay! :p), Lizzie, thanks for the strawberries (I love those), Lizzy, and thanks for the chocolate eggs and money to pay the check (xD), LexiLeothegreat909! _

_To Heal my bleeding heart: Your question about Tanya will be answered in this chapter. ;)_

_To Lizzie: Sure, here's a free, digital Jasper for you! :p_

_To Han1212: Lol, it's funny that you mentioned the grammar, seeing as I'm always worrying about that. I'm Dutch, so English isn't my first language, and sometimes I'm a little insecure when it comes to my English writing. So thanks, it's great to hear that you think it's good. xD_

_To Rosaa: Urgh, annoying isn't it! I thought it was just me! I only receive some of the email alerts from failfictiondotnet, while others miraculously disappear. =_= This site can be such a pain in the ass. Hope you managed to finish your homework! :O_

_To Mouse555: Lol! xD I'm afraid not, my Bella isn't a very violent person. :p_

_To Silke112: Hoe Tanya het wist kun je lezen in dit hoofdstuk. ;) _

_To Rosalies-Evil-Twin: Of course, here's a free, digital famous Edward! :p_

_To Lizzy: An Emmett as well? :p Alright then, here you go! I'm really starting to feel like Santa here. xD _

_To Gnomegirl13: Aahw, no, of course I won't kill you! :O School is important as well! Hope everything works out with your homework. And I'm afraid that there will be no Bella/Jacob romance, sorry. :p_

_To Josefa and everyone at the hospital: Lol, you guys are so funny. xD Reading all together, I can just picture it. :D That's a very tempting offer by the way, a painful injection for them sounds good, I'll keep that in mind. ;) And wow, men who aren't gay are reading this… o_O Now that's shocking! And awesome! xD_

_To Sprinter1: Hey! Great to have you back. ;)_

_Oh god, I'm sorry, I know these extremely long author's notes are annoying. Just pretend it never happened. ;D *Moving on to chapter eight*_

* * *

**Freed**

I nervously fidgeted in my chair, while Edward remained cool and collected. It was a small miracle that he was able to do so under the murderous stare that Tanya was directing at him.

"Well!" She pressed.

Edward clenched his jaw, and even though I'd only known him for such a short time, I could tell by his eyes that he was fighting to not lose his temper.

"Have you ever heard about privacy? How did you find us?" He demanded angrily.

"Does that even matter? Look, if you're really that curious; I drove around until I saw your car. When I couldn't find you anywhere near Forks, I decided to search the next silly, little town. But like I said, it doesn't matter, because you are caught in the act, mister!" Tanya ranted, pursing her lips when she was done.

"Don't make a scene, please." He warned her in a strained voice.

"Who's making a scene? You're the one who's secretly dating some bimbo!" Tanya sneered.

Edward growled, literally. He looked more furious than I'd ever seen him before, and that included the accident with the vacuum cleaner. If I'd been Tanya, I would've been scared to death right now.

"_Don't_ call her that." He said in a low voice, emphasizing each word.

"I'll call her whatever the hell I want to call her! And I'm still waiting for your brilliant explanation, Eddie." She hissed, not at all affected by his hostile glare.

"And don't call _me_ that!" He was all but yelling now, and some of the other guests unsubtly eyed our table.

"You're avoiding my question, what are you doing here with her?" Tanya was not a quitter, that much I could tell.

Edward took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger before he answered her.

"If you must know, she's my friend. And we're having dinner because I needed some distraction from _you_." Edward told her bluntly, not sparing her feelings.

Tanya gasped. "You've got to be kidding me! Your friend, yeah right! And the moon is made of cheese! Come on, Edward, be honest."

"Alright, this is going nowhere, let's please discuss this at home." Edward suggested tiredly.

At first Tanya looked as if she wanted to protest, but then she calmed down a little, slowly nodding at Edward.

"Okay… Will you take me home, Eddie? We can pick up my car later…" Her tone had gone from angry to seductive sooner than I would've thought possible.

"No." Edward stated.

Tanya threw him a look of disbelief. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean, no, you can drive yourself. I'm going to bring Bella home first, and then I'll meet you at the mansion, where we can talk." He clarified.

"But…You can't… I don't want you to…" Tanya stumbled over her words, waving her hand in my direction.

"Yes I can, and I will. Now leave, please." Edward ordered.

Tanya huffed, giving me one last glare that caused me to shiver. She also scowled at Edward one last time, and then she turned around, quickly making her way out of the restaurant while several guests were watching her curiously.

I was completely tongue-tied, and I silently gazed at Edward, who was gazing back at me, a frown on his face.

"Wow, that was… I'm sorry." I mumbled, carefully gauging his mood.

The frown stayed in place, but his voice was gentle when he replied. "You're sorry? About what? Tanya being a drama queen?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know… She went berserk because you were here with _me_."

Edward snorted. "Yes, and you were here because _I _dragged you along."

"I suppose…"

Edward smiled his uneven smile, probably trying to comfort me. That smile was as effective as a magic spell, and I flashed him a smile of my own.

"Come on, I'll bring you home, sweetheart." He said, getting up from his chair, and holding out his hand to me.

My heart violently hammered in my chest at the endearment, but I managed to keep breathing, and I placed my hand in his. Edward paid at the counter, after making it crystal clear that he didn't want me to pay for my own meal, and then led met out of the restaurant, not letting go of my hand the entire time. It was still hard to grasp why he was being this sweet to me all the time, but I decided not to break my head over it and enjoy it while it lasted.

He was unusually quiet during the drive back, and again I was dying to know what was going on inside that pretty head of his.

"Are you alright?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" He waved away my concern, not even sounding a tiny bit upset.

"I thought it would be painful… Having this kind of argument with your girlfriend, in public nonetheless."

He sighed, and turned his head to look at me. "Surprisingly, I don't feel that horrible… Annoyed maybe, but not hurt. Perhaps I should feel guilty for not caring enough, I know I must sound like a heartless person to you."

I shrugged. "You can't help what you feel... Or don't feel."

"That's true…" He murmured, the left corner of his mouth lifting up into a half-smile.

"And keep your eyes on the road." I scolded him playfully.

He smirked and rolled his eyes, but obeyed, turning his attention back to the deserted road in front of us. I did the same thing, mindlessly staring out of the window, into the ever present, endless green forest. I continued to do so, daydreaming a little, until I was distracted by his hand... It softly brushed against mine, and when I moved my fingers in a reflex, he tentatively laced his fingers through mine.

I shyly looked up at him, and I saw that he was also looking at me, measuring my reaction.

"I can hold your hand, right?" He asked. "It's sort of calming to me."

My heart was singing happily. Was it any use to keep denying that I was in love with Edward Cullen?

"Sure…" I whispered, ducking my head to hide my flustered face.

He squeezed my hand. "Don't hide, there's no need to be ashamed of such a beautiful blush, Bella."

I flushed even more. "Eyes on the road." I mumbled pathetically.

Edward laughed softly, but didn't argue.

He tightly kept holding on to my hand for the rest of the ride, and I simply enjoyed the feeling of my hand in his. Too soon for my liking we were back in Forks, and I frantically ordered him to keep driving when he was about to pull up in front of my house.

"I'll walk the last part, otherwise Lauren and Regina will get suspicious." I reminded him.

"Oh, right." He drove past my house, and stopped at the end of the street.

I reluctantly let go of his hand, and he forced a smile onto his flawless lips. I could only imagine how it would feel to kiss those lips… No! What was I thinking?

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, probably noticing that I was nearly drooling like a moron.

"Yes. Thank you, Edward… And thanks for taking me out to dinner… Except for Tanya's little… interruption I had a great time." I responded, stumbling over my own words like I often did when speaking to him.

"Me too." He said, his tone sincere.

"I'll see you tomorrow? Or do you want me to stay away until Tanya is gone, to keep the peace?" I offered unwillingly.

"No Bella, nothing has changed. You're always welcome to come over, if I want anyone to leave, it's Tanya." Edward said determinedly.

I smiled brightly at him. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, goodnight Bella. Sweet dreams." His appealing voice sent shivers down my spine.

Without a warning, one of his pale hands found its way to my face, and he softly stroked a strand of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear with a feather light touch. My heart stopped for a moment, and when it restarted itself again, it flipped nervously, beating abnormally fast. We gazed at each other for a minute, until I made a move to get out of the car.

"Thanks. Bye, Edward. Good luck with Tanya." I said, looking into my favorite green eyes one last time before turning away from him.

I got out of the Volvo, and as he drove off I started to walk in the general direction of my house. The rain decided to taunt me, heavily pouring down on me, and I half-ran the last part, eager to get inside. Not like a little rain could ruin my mood, I was still on my Edward-high.

The second I entered the kitchen, Lauren called my name from the living room, dragging me away from my fluffy, pink cloud.

"Bella! Where on earth have you been?"

"Out for a walk, needed time to think." I gave her my lame excuse. Hopefully she would buy it.

She darted into the kitchen, and gave me an indifferent look.

"Whatever, I don't care, I'm just relieved that you're back! My Biology project still has to be finished, I have to turn it in tomorrow…"

xxx

I wasn't feeling very fresh when I parked my truck in front of the Cullen house after a long day of school. I blamed Lauren and her stupid Biology project, since I had worked on it all freaking night long. The entire day I had walked the halls of Forks High feeling like a zombie, so I wasn't sure how much cleaning I would get done in this state, but I was going to try anyway.

I also was afraid that I would run into Tanya; I was so not feeling like facing her wrath, right now. On the other hand, I _was_ wondering if Edward had smoothed things out with Tanya last night, or if they were still at war…

I used my key to get inside, and I silently moved through the house. At first I considered looking for Edward, to see if he was okay. After all, I was supposed to be his friend… But then I figured that if he was with Tanya, I would only make things worse for him, so I dismissed the idea. The house was awfully quiet, and even Alice's chipper voice was nowhere to be heard. Knowing her she was probably out shopping or something like that; anything to escape Tanya.

It caught my attention that the first floor could use some vacuuming, and so I brought my old friend the vacuuming cleaner to life again. I vacuumed the kitchen and the entrance-hall at a slow pace, feeling tired as hell. After what seemed forever the huge hallway was finally done, and my next stop was the living room. I opened the door, clumsily stumbling inside while pulling the vacuum cleaner with me. And then I spotted Edward... He was hanging on the couch, staring at the huge flat screen on the wall.

A feeling of déjà vu came over me when he looked up, and I abruptly turned off the vacuum cleaner, my heart speeding up at the memory of our very first encounter.

Edward sat straighter and ran his hand through his hair, slowly shaking his head as he looked at me, his eyes full of apologies.

"I've traumatized you, haven't I? Believe me, if I could do our first meeting over again, I would…" He said, sadness seeping through his silky voice.

"You're giving yourself way too much credit, you're not _that_ scary." I responded nonchalantly. I wanted him to stop feeling guilty about that one little misstep.

"Good, the last thing I want to do is scaring you off…" He murmured.

"I'm still here…"

"I can see that." He commented dryly.

"Aren't you observant. So… how are things with you and Tanya? And where is she?" I asked, unable to suppress my curiosity any longer.

Edward's face turned serious. "She left this morning… We had a long talk last night, but it's over." He informed me in a quiet tone.

"Oh… I'm sorry for you, Edward." I did my best to sound sincere, but I couldn't help it that a small part of me was doing a happy dance.

And people accused _him_ of being a selfish person… I was being equally selfish, happy that he and his girlfriend were toast, only because I wanted him all to myself. Because let's face it, I wanted him, and I wanted him as much more than a friend. If there had been any doubt left, it was completely gone now. Not that the fact that he had broken up with Tanya meant that he would _ever_ fall for me… But at least I wouldn't have to watch him kiss another girl, for now…

Edward shrugged. "It's okay, I guess… I figured that if I couldn't even stand being around her for three short days, there really was no point in staying with her any longer."

"You've got a point there." I agreed lightly.

His mouth slowly lifted up into a smile. "Why don't you sit with me?" He asked, patting the couch.

"I'm here because I'm the housekeeper, therefore, my main purpose is cleaning your house." I hinted.

"You have a much more important job at the moment. You have to cheer up your friend, who's going through a rough period because of a breakup." Edward protested, throwing in some puppy eyes.

He had never used those on me before, but they worked as effectively as the pout, melting my insides.

"Fine, you win. Though I'm not sure how to comfort someone who's suffering from a heartache." I admitted.

"Oh, it's easy, I'll tell you how it works." He said, grinning wickedly. "All you have to do is stay here to make sure that I don't feel lonely, hug me, and last but not least, repeatedly tell me that it's all _her_ fault."

I snorted. "That sounds easy enough."

I neglected the vacuum cleaner and walked over to the couch, slowly sitting down next to him. I kept a small distance between us, and he threw me a questioning look, raising his eyebrows.

"I believe I've told you before that I don't bite." He said suggestively, playfully nudging my side with his elbow.

What did he mean? Did he want me to move even closer? I wasn't sitting _that_ far away from him…

"What? You want me to sit on your lap?" I asked sarcastically, referring to the nearly non-existing distance between us.

"I didn't think about that, but now that you're bringing it up…" He said thoughtfully.

He smiled devilishly at me, but before I could find out what he was up to, his arms snaked around my waist in a swift movement, and he pulled me across his lap.

"Edward!" I giggled in surprise.

He firmly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest.

"What?" He asked, feigning innocence. "I told you about the hugging-part. You agreed, right?"

"You don't play fair, Edward Cullen." I accused halfheartedly.

I didn't mind at all. It was a delight to be this close to him, and now that _he_ had made the first move, I found the courage to snuggle even closer to him.

"You're not exactly complaining." He remarked smugly as he watched me getting comfortable.

"Touché." I muttered.

"Comfortable enough?" He teased me some more.

"Yes, thank you." I rested my head against his shoulder, and for the first time I noticed what he was watching. "Why are you watching the Home Shopping Channel?"

He chuckled. "I'm not. I was flicking through channels until you came in."

"Oh…"

"Why, do you want to watch something else?"

"No, I don't care." I said truthfully.

All I cared about was being in his arms. The alluring scent that he seemed to radiate naturally was surrounding me, and he was so warm… and soft…

"Edward?" I mumbled after a short silence.

"Yes?"

"Is it working?"

"Is what working?" He asked.

One of his hands softly started to rub my arm, distracting me momentarily.

"The comforting… Are you feeling any better?"

He laughed softly. "Oh yes, it's working very well. You're a natural at this, I already feel loads better."

"That's good…" I muttered. "By the way… It's all her fault." I added, causing Edward to chuckle.

For some reason, forming words was getting harder and harder, and so was keeping my eyes open.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?" Was the only sound I managed to produce.

"Did you sleep last night?" Edward asked.

"No… time… Lauren's biology… project…" Hopefully he didn't need any more words to get the picture, because I was too tired to speak them.

He sighed deeply.

"I should… go… home… sleep." I slurred when it vaguely occurred to me that it was not right to fall asleep at a place where you were supposed to be _working_.

"Shhht." He whispered.

"Ed-ward…"

When he replied, his lips were directly at my ear. "Just sleep, Bella."

I was out of words, and my thoughts became more blurry. I was fighting to stay awake, but he was no help at all, seeing as he softly started to sing some song in my ear that I vaguely recognized from hearing it on the radio once. Edward Cullen was good at everything, even singing. His velvety voice made the song sound better than the original version. He kept going, until eventually, I lost the fight against my heavy eyelids…

* * *

_Thanks for reading this! Yay, Edward's freed from Tanya. xD See you all tomorrow! :D_


	9. Threat

_Hey guys! :)_

_Thank you for reviewing; _**Lizzy, Mrs. M Cullen, Lisa, Xtina316, Rosaa, Thari, Han1212, Sprinter1, Et1141412, Porkkana, WhenDAEbreaks, Twilight4everandever, Zookiel101**_, _**Moftan, Gnomegirl13, Jrow1107, Marijne, Heal my bleeding heart, xostaybeautiful, Sara Lautner, LexiLeothegreat909, Mouse555 **_and_** Porcelain-Shadow!**_ Thanks for making my day! :D_

_And also; Thanks for the triple chocolate chip cookies and a copy of Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (I don't own it, so thanks! xD), Heal my bleeding heart, and thanks for the cozy blanket, LexiLeothegreat909! xD_

_To Lizzy: Oh! Sneaky you! :O But sure, you can have a free, digital, Carlisle. :D_

_To Lisa: Lol, don't we all envy Bella. :p_

_To Thari: "Poor vacuum cleaner :( Every sign of something better it's deserted, left to suck all on its own :(" Omg, seriously girl, 'left to suck all on its own'? xD I cracked a rib laughing so hard. _

_To Zookiel101: I honestly have no clue how long the story will be, but I'm guessing at least twenty chapters. You see the thing is, I always make a wild guess, but at the end of the day I'm usually wrong. xD So I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. xD_

_To Heal my bleeding heart: As Edward mentions when he's cooking dinner; Alice was out buying stuff to decorate the house. She wasn't gone because of Tanya, that's just what Bella assumed. ;)_

_To Porcelain-Shadow: Sure, you can have your own Edward! :D_

_Alright, new chapter, have fun! :)_

* * *

**Threat**

Waking up usually wasn't such a pleasant event for me. For one thing because my old, small bed wasn't that comfortable, and also because I often woke up with my head on my desk, on top of Lauren's homework…

But this time was different; this bed was soft and unbelievably comfortable. I slowly opened my eyes, and came to the conclusion that I wasn't in the dusty attic that was my room. Instead, I was in a huge bedroom, the interior modern and light… I'd never seen this room before, but my foggy brain soon registered that I was still at the Cullen house, and that this had to be Edward's room…

The light that filtered through the closed curtains was dim, and I wondered how long I had been asleep. I also wondered how I had gotten here, since I remembered being on the couch in the living room before I had dozed off…

I reluctantly sat up and left the comfy, king-size bed. A simple, silver clock on the wall told me that it was already eight pm, and I panicked for a second… I had slept for over three hours, and Regina wouldn't be pleased when I got home late for the second time in a row.

I stumbled out of the room, a little disorientated, and wandered into the hallway. I tiredly rubbed my eyes as I went downstairs in order to look for Edward. I entered the living room, but there was no trace of him.

"Edward?" I called hesitantly.

He called back immediately. "In the kitchen."

I made my way to the kitchen, and to my astonishment he was standing behind the stove. Was he actually trying to cook? He truly had been brainwashed!

"Hey, sleepy head. I'm glad you're awake, I was about to wake you up… I'm making you some dinner." He announced, looking up from the sauce that he was currently stirring and smiling a beautiful, uneven smile at me.

"You? Cooking?" I asked, half shocked, half teasing.

A small blush formed on his cheeks, and I was pretty sure that it was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

"Yeah, well, Alice is out shopping for the day, she wanted to buy some stuff to decorate the office. She probably won't be back before ten, and I figured that you would be hungry." He explained, quickly turning his full attention back to the sauce to hide his flustered face. It was funny to see that the tables were turned for once.

"Wow, you shouldn't have, Edward. I could've made something at home."

"It's no big deal… Let's just pray that it's edible, I've never cooked before in my life." Edward confessed. "But it's pasta, so it can't be that hard. Besides, it says right here on the recipe that it _can't_ go wrong."

"Well no matter what it tastes like, I appreciate your effort." I encouraged him, already proud of him because this was obviously way out of his comfort zone.

He grinned up at me. "Good, because I can't promise you that it won't taste like garbage."

"I'm sure I'll survive… Oh, and I'm sorry, by the way."

He frowned at me. "Sorry for what?"

"Well, you know… Sleeping while I should in fact have been working." I said apologetically, feeling like a worthless employee.

"I don't care about that, humans need to sleep, Bella. I'd rather you get some sleep here, instead of you not getting any sleep at all." He said sternly.

"Thanks for that, I do feel a lot better now… How did I end up sleeping in your bed anyway? Did you seriously carry me all the way up the stairs?" I asked, slightly awed.

"Yes. Not like it's such a big deal, you're not that heavy." Edward said mockingly. "I thought you would be more comfortable, sleeping in a bed."

"You do have a very nice bed." I agreed, giving him a shy smile.

He chuckled. "That's what I thought. Why don't you sit down, dinner will be served in a few minutes, Miss Swan."

I did as he asked, sitting down at the breakfast bar, patiently waiting as he worked on our dinner. Watching Edward had recently become one of my favorite activities, and so I didn't mind the waiting one bit. My thoughts drifted away for a moment, and for the millionth time I mentally asked myself why Edward Cullen was being this nice to me. Why me, of all people? It was hard to understand…

And then there also was this annoying voice in my head, telling me that he might as well be acting. Acting was his job after all, he had to be good at it. But then again, why would he go through the trouble of acting like a kind person, if he didn't even _like_ me? That made no sense whatsoever, seeing as he clearly didn't bother to perform a play when it came to most other people…

"Alright, here goes nothing." He said dramatically, breaking me out of my thoughts.

He placed two plates on the breakfast bar and sat down next to me.

"Thank you. It looks pretty good, and it doesn't smell bad, either." I complimented him.

"You want me to taste it first?" He offered, humor in his voice.

"It can't be that horrible." I said dryly, scooping some pasta onto my fork and bringing it to my mouth.

"Any last wishes?" Edward asked jokingly.

I laughed and shook my head as I took a bite. I had to admit that, even _if_ it had tasted like vomit, I still would've told him that it was delicious. Luckily, it didn't taste bad at all. It tasted very good, actually, and after I had swallowed the first bite, I smiled proudly at him.

"You're a great cook, Edward. There's nothing wrong with this food."

He seemed genuinely surprised. "You're not trying to spare my feelings, are you?"

"No, of course not. You should have a little more faith in yourself." I said as I eagerly attacked the rest of my pasta; I hadn't realized until now that I was starving.

Edward also took a bite, and a satisfied smile formed around his lips. "Wow, this is not bad at all… Perhaps there is a small chance that I will survive on my own when Alice leaves, after all."

"You're a smart guy, Edward, I'm sure you can do anything you want to do, as long as you try." I said seriously.

"You really do have too much faith in me." He said, his smile turning into a grimace.

"No, I don't. You're amazing, and on top of that you're one of the nicest persons I've ever met." I said with newfound confidence, ignoring the blush that crept up my cheeks.

He laughed out loud, almost choking on his pasta.

"What's so funny?" I demanded, surprised by his reaction.

He calmed down, and composed his face when he answered me. "One of the nicest persons you've ever met, huh? That's something I've _never_ heard before…"

"Well it's true… I don't care about the rumors that are going around, and I don't care what other people think. All I know is that no one has ever been this nice to me." I stubbornly waved away his skepticism, not understanding why someone like Edward would have insecurities.

I turned away from my plate to look at him, and he was gazing back at me, his expression unreadable.

"All _I_ know is that you are the kindest, sweetest, smartest girl I've ever met, and that I don't deserve all the credit that you're giving me." He murmured unexpectedly, his green eyes burning with sincerity.

"You do…" I weakly argued one last time.

"I don't, but regardless, I'm glad that you see me that way… I crave your company too much."

"And you still don't know why that is?" I asked.

"No… If I did, I would've told you right away. I promised, remember? When I find out, you'll be the first to know." He said. His tone was lighter than before, but his eyes remained serious.

"I'll hold you to that, I'm still curious why I am the one lucky person who gets to be your friend."

He smiled wistfully, and it didn't quite touch his eyes. Somehow he looked a little sad, but I had no idea why that was.

"Do you need another hug?" I tried.

The sad look left as quickly as it had arrived, and his lips curved up into a smile. Those lips that I wanted to kiss so badly… Oh no, not this again. As if I would ever find out what it felt like to kiss Edward Cullen. In my dreams, perhaps.

"You read me like a book, Isabella Swan. Come here." He said, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture.

I didn't have to think twice about that, and I threw myself into his waiting arms. I locked my arms around his neck and hugged myself close to him. He rested his head on my shoulder, and his hands were softly stroking my back.

I shivered in pleasure when he leaned in to whisper in my ear. "Your hugs are the new highlight of my day, Bella."

xxx

On the drive back home I was singing loudly, and smiling like an idiot. I didn't care that I was late. I didn't care that Regina would yell at me because I hadn't made dinner. I didn't care that Lauren would probably bother me with her homework again… All I cared about at the moment was Edward Cullen, and how it had felt when he had hugged me… How it had felt to fall asleep in his arms, to sleep in his bed… How he had made dinner for the first time in his life, especially for me.

I darted into the house, my head up in the clouds…

That's when I spotted Regina, standing in the middle of the small kitchen. Her arms were crossed, and her eyes were shooting fire as she glowered at me. She was wearing a hideous, bright-yellow outfit that clashed with her bleached hair, and if the situation hadn't been this serious, I would've laughed. She pursed her lips, which were covered in ugly, purple lipstick, at the same time squinting her eyes at me. My good mood vanished abruptly, and my stomach twisted, making me nauseous.

"Isabella! Where the hell have you been?" She snapped at me.

I bit my lip and fumbled with the car keys in my hands.

"Work. I've told you about my new job, right?" I replied in a flat tone.

"Yes, you did, but this job isn't working for me, Isabella." She complained, now waving her manicured hands at me.

"What do you mean? It's just cleaning, and I've still got enough time left to do my homework." I pretended to be oblivious, fully aware that she was talking about the fact that she wanted her personal slave to be around more often.

"You know exactly what I mean! You weren't home to make dinner for us tonight, and the same happened yesterday." She hissed, her Botox-filled face an angry mask.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." I lied, not feeling sorry at all.

"You bet it won't." She exclaimed. "Because _if_ it happens again, I want you to _quit_ that job."

I gaped at her, shocked. "What!? No! I need that job, Regina."

"That's not my problem, so I suggest that _you_ make sure that you're in time to prepare dinner for us tomorrow." Regina said, smiling her fake smile.

"Alright, I'll make dinner tomorrow." I promised exasperatedly.

"Yes, you will, and that's not all… You're spending all your time at that new job of yours, but you are days behind with the laundry here! Not to mention that this place needs some cleaning as well." She ranted, her nasal voice causing goose bumps to raise on my arms.

"Like I said, I'm sorry. I'll make sure that it gets done tomorrow, but I'm not quitting my job." I said in a final tone.

"Oh, don't worry about that. If things don't change around here, _I_ will make sure to quit your job for you." She threatened darkly.

"You wouldn't… You can't…" I said breathlessly.

She merely gave me an evil smirk. "We'll see about that… I have my ways…"

xxx

I was nervously pacing back and forth in my room. It was around eleven pm, and I was deadly tired. I knew that I needed to go to sleep, but I was completely restless. I couldn't lose that job, no matter the cost. Not only because I needed the money, but also because I couldn't stand the thought of not being around Edward anymore.

But how on earth was I going to fit everything into my daily schedule? I barely had time to eat and sleep as it was, but I knew that somehow, I would have to make sure that I didn't give Regina a reason to put her words into action…

I fell down onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. I closed my eyes, hoping that I would drift to sleep, but it was no use. The fact remained that I was wide awake, and too wary to relax and fall asleep. I got up again, walking up to my messy desk and searching it for my cell phone. I hardly ever used the thing, and I only had it for emergencies. I found it behind a stack of papers, and turned it on.

Edward was my friend, right? So it wouldn't be weird if I called him… If only to hear his calming voice. I didn't allow myself a chance to think it through any further, and dialed the number of the Cullen house. Hopefully Edward answered the phone, because it would be embarrassing if Alice picked up and I had to ask for him…

"Hello?" Edward answered after a few rings, sounding sleepy.

My heart sped up at the mere sound of his velvety voice.

"Edward… I woke you up, didn't I? I'm so sorry…" I rambled.

"Bella? Don't worry, that's fine. Are you alright?" He asked, sounding alarmed.

"I'm okay… I just…" I was at a loss for words. What should I say to him? _I only called because I needed to hear your voice? _That sounded very cheesy…

"You're okay?" Edward repeated my words, his tone skeptical. "Then how is it that you don't sound okay?"

I sighed. "Nothing's wrong… Some issues with my stepmom, nothing to worry about."

"Nothing, huh? Then why are you calling?" He challenged me, seeing right through me.

His hypnotic powers also seemed to work over the phone, and I spilled. "She wants me to quit my job if I continue to spend so much time at your place."

"What, why?"

"Because she wants her servant around twenty-four hours a day! When I'm not here she has to actually make her own dinner and clean up her own mess." I stated dully.

Edward groaned. "That woman is despicable! Who does she think she is! She has no right to treat you like her slave, Bella."

"I know, but there's not much I can do… There's not much anyone can do, I just needed to talk to someone…" I explained.

"And I'm glad you called me, but you have no idea how frustrating it is for me to hear this." Edward said, his voice filled with anxiety.

"What do you mean?" I asked, not really getting why this was so frustrating for him. He hadn't lost his employee yet, and surely he would be able to find someone else to clean his house.

"What do I mean?! Bella, you don't have the faintest idea how powerless I feel! I want to come over there right now and comfort you! I want to give your disgusting stepmother a piece of my mind! But I can't do any of those things without getting you into even more trouble!" He said agitatedly.

I knew that he cared for me, but it was shocking to learn that he cared _that much_.

"That's very sweet of you." I mumbled, glad that he couldn't see my scarlet face, or hear my misbehaving heart.

He laughed humorlessly. "I'm nowhere near sweet, Bella. According to most people I'm not even tolerable. But you… You are the sweetest girl alive, and I don't get how anyone could ever hurt you, or treat you like crap. That's just not right, you deserve so much better than that."

Tears were stinging behind my eyes. He didn't realize it himself, but he deserved a medal when it came to being a good friend.

"Bella? Are you still there?" He checked when I was silent, speechless because of his touching words.

"Yes… I wish you were here, Edward. I think I'm the one needing a hug, this time." I admitted sheepishly.

He laughed a soft, mesmerizing laugh. "I'm sorry, sweetheart… But we'll see each other tomorrow, so I solemnly swear that you will get your hug, it'll merely be a bit delayed."

"Now there's something to look forward to." I said, instantly feeling better when I thought about seeing him again.

"Yes… But you should go to bed now, Bella. You have to catch up on a lot of sleep." He said, his tone authoritative.

"You're right. I feel calmer now, I'm going to try and sleep." I agreed. "Thanks, Edward."

"Anytime. Sleep well, sweet girl." His soothing voice said.

"Goodnight, Edward." I whispered back.

I hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand, feeling a lot better after my talk with him. Apparently his voice was enough to keep me sane. I'd only known him for one short week, and already it seemed like I was addicted to him, craving his presence like some sort of junky.

And to think that, two weeks ago, I never would've guessed that I would _ever_ fall in love with _anyone_, let alone fall in love with some famous actor. I didn't know how to feel about it, my emotions were chaotic and conflicted at the moment. A part of me felt giddy and euphoric, but another part was feeling depressed, because the chances of him liking me in that way weren't good. For the first time in my life I truly liked a guy, and of course it had to be someone who was miles out of my league. But no matter what, fighting it was useless. Love happened, just like that, and there was nothing you could do about it…

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_That's it for today, new update tomorrow! :)_


	10. Paparazzi

_Hi guys! :D_

_Thank you so much for reviewing; _**Mrs. M Cullen, Golden Perception, Heal my bleeding heart, Xtina316, Lolz2kaii9, Sara Lautner, Rosaa, Thari, Soorandom, Stephanie97, Lizzy, Jacobfan233, Et1141412,**** Mouse555, Marijne, Josefa and everyone at the hospital, Han1212, Sprinter1, Emma, Vanessa, ****Porcelain-Shadow **_and_** LexiLeothegreat909! **_Thanks for reading this, and for still sticking with the Dutch girl! :D_

_And also; Thanks for the Jasper, Heal my bleeding heart, thanks for the cream, Lizzy, and thanks for the wonderful cake, LexiLeothegreat909! xD  
_

_To Heal my bleeding heart: Lol, sure, you can have a hug from Edward! :p And I'll keep that book in mind, then! :)_

_To Sara Lautner: Lol, yes, I believe you've told me once or twice. ;) Thank you!_

_To Rosaa: It will be explained later why Edward changed after apologizing. ;) And it so happens that we'll see some more Cullens in today's chapter._

_To Thari: Omg, you want my Edward? :O Muhu, I suppose you can have him, but only if he agrees. :p_

_To Soorandom: Haha, thanks! :) But you know, a lot of authors on here care about their readers, but most of them have lives, unlike me. xD Although I'm going to warn you in advance that I won't be able to keep up this daily-updating-thing forever, even if I wanted to. xD A busy time at work is coming up, and English isn't my first language, so writing this takes a lot of my energy. _

_To everyone at the Children's hospital in Panama City: Lol, with all those fainting women it's a good thing that there are a lot of doctors around. xD And I wouldn't call it pessimistic, more like realistic, because what's a story without some drama… :p_

_To Han1212: Have fun on your holiday! :D_

_To Porcelain-Shadow: Lol, a steamroller? :p That's very violent, but you're right, they totally deserve it! xD_

_Alright, new chapter… Some trouble is coming up, have fun!_

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**Paparazzi**

The next day, a lot of planning was going on inside my head during my morning classes. Regina had bombarded me with tons of chores before I'd had a chance to escape to Forks High, and I was trying to figure out how I was going to finish everything in time. At least I was lucky that Lauren had slept in today; I hadn't seen her this morning, and so she hadn't had a chance to bug me with her stupid homework. I was so deep in thought the entire time, that I didn't even realize that something strange was going on around me. Not until lunch break, at least…

I was sitting at the usual lunch table in the corner of the cafeteria, and Angela was sitting across from me, aimlessly flipping through her notebook. I was absentmindedly observing the room as I chewed on my cheese sandwich, when it caught my attention that various people were _staring_ at me. Not the regular staring that was sometimes caused by Lauren's rumors, but an almost awed kind of staring, accompanied by excited, whispered conversations between students.

Had I grown a third arm without noticing? Was something weird going on with my hair or clothes? I subtly checked, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

The staring people were spread all over the room, and so the chances of it being a conspiracy were zero. Surely Lauren wouldn't set up something _that_ big… Would she? Besides, normally Lauren's actions resulted in people ignoring me, not staring at me. I wasn't interesting enough, not worth their precious time.

A blonde girl with short, curly hair, who I'd never seen before, giggled as she stared at me from a table on the other side of the room. She poked the brown-haired girl that was sitting across from her, who immediately turned around to also look at me. I raised my eyebrows at them, as if daring them to come over to tell it to my face. They both swiftly turned their heads away, laughing in whispers and softly talking to each other.

"Ang?" I called uncertainly.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking up from her homework.

"Am I being paranoid, or is everybody staring at me?"

Angela closed her books and picked up her own sandwich, at the same time scanning the lunchroom.

"Wow… This is not you being paranoid… Eighty percent of the people in this room are staring at you like you've committed some sort of crime…" Angela concluded warily after a brief examination.

"So it's not me?" I prompted.

"It's not you." Angela assured me again. "So fess up, did you steal someone's lunch money?"

"Not that I know of…"

"Murder someone?" She joked again.

"Not funny, Ang! I didn't do anything to draw attention to myself, I swear."

"Why don't we ask someone?" She suggested. "Apparently plenty of people know what this is about."

"You seriously want to ask them why they are gossiping about me behind my back?" I asked in disbelief.

Angela shrugged. "It's the most efficient way to find out."

"Thanks, but no thanks." I muttered as I glanced around the room again.

A bunch of girls, who were sitting at a large table rather close to our table, were chatting busily, all of them eyeing me with curious expressions on their faces.

"That's it, I'm going outside for a walk, this is getting ridiculous." I groaned, getting up from my chair.

"I'm with you, these people are giving me the creeps." Angela said, collecting her books and following my example.

Everyone was staring after us as we made our way out of the cafeteria, but again it caught my attention that they weren't truly laughing at me, nor were they making fun of me… The stares were merely awed and shocked, not mocking.

"Something strange is going on here." I said darkly as we stepped into the hallway where more people turned their heads in order to take a better look at me.

"No kidding…" Angela said, sounding slightly awed herself now. "The way they're looking at you… It's almost as if you're some sort of celebrity…"

I let out a snort at her comparison. "Ah right, that has to be it! Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of Forks' most hardworking servant girl." I replied sarcastically.

We headed for the nearest exit and we stepped outside, into the light drizzle. The exit was near the front office, where the parking lot was situated, and I subtly elbowed Angela in the ribs when I spotted that there was some sort of gathering going on in the middle of said parking area.

"What are all those people doing there?" I asked, pointing at the rather large group of middle aged people.

Angela followed my gaze, and she frowned in confusion. "Beats me… They look way too old to be students here… And they've got… cameras."

We gradually moved closer in an attempt to find out what was going on, and I saw that Angela was right… The group mainly consisted of men, but there were also a few women. Some of them were carrying cameras, and others were fumbling with all different sorts of sound equipment.

"Let's go ask what's going on! Maybe something huge is going to happen at Forks High." Angela said excitedly.

"Like they're going to tell us." I told her dismissively. "Come on, let's go, we'll probably find out soon enough."

"You don't know that, don't you want to know what's going to happen?" She protested.

We both unconsciously kept walking while we were arguing, and we now reached the edge of the parking lot. I was about to answer Angela, but I was distracted by a woman in the middle of the group who suddenly looked up, locking eyes with me. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, without producing any sound.

"Is she trying to imitate a goldfish?" Angela asked, letting me know that she'd also seen it.

"Or a flesh eating plant." I suggested.

Before I could come up with any more lame jokes, I saw how the goldfish-woman smacked the arm of the man who was standing next to her. His head snapped up, and the woman said something to him as she pointed at _me_… An eerie feeling came over me as it occurred to me that something fishy was going on here…

There were some movements in the crowd, and suddenly I heard how someone loudly yelled: "There she is! Let's go!"

"Ang…" I began.

"Uhu?" She squeaked.

"I have no clue what's going on here, but I think this is our cue to leave." I stated unnecessarily.

"Yep. Something tells me that they're _not_ here to take the yearbook pictures." Angela said as she took a few steps backwards.

She grabbed my arm, pulling me along, and I followed her lead, slowly backing away from the now swiftly approaching crowd. The sound of clicking cameras became clearer, the flashes of light blinding me.

"Wait! Servant girl! We just want to ask some questions!" The woman, who was carrying a microphone, shouted at us.

My eyes widened, and blood violently started to pound in my ears. She was a reporter, I could see that now, but why on earth was she interested in my life-story?

"They _know_ you?" Angela's words came out as a question.

"I don't understand…" I replied, my voice no more than a whisper.

"Come on, no time to figure that out now, let's go! Talking to the press is never a smart idea, everything you say, or don't say for that matter, can and will be used against you." Angela said firmly.

Her grasp around my arm tightened, and I resurfaced from my shocked state.

"You're right, let's go." I muttered.

We both turned around and sprinted back to the school's entrance.

"Wait! Isabella Swan! Can we have a short talk with you, please? What's your reaction to…"

We entered the school building, and Angela roughly slammed the door shut, blocking out the voices. We kept running, passing many curious students who were stretching out their necks in order to see where we were going.

"Now what? Forks High isn't that big, there's nowhere to hide!" I exclaimed, on the verge of hysteria.

Angela came to a sudden stop, a thoughtful expression on her face that slowly turned into a satisfied smile.

"I think I've got a plan. You take the back entrance of the building, and I'll stay here and try to distract them. I'll try to keep them busy, so that you can get to your truck and get the hell out of here." She came up with a strategy faster than I would've thought possible under this kind of pressure.

For a split second I gaped admiringly at her, before giving her a brief but firm hug. "You rock my world! I owe you."

"Yeah yeah, go!" She said, lightly pushing me in the general direction of the back entrance.

I followed her orders, running through the halls of Forks High, miraculously without tripping over air. When I reached the door I yanked it open, and I ran around the back of the building, not slowing down until the parking lot came into sight.

My eyes feverishly wandered over the sea of cars, but the coast seemed clear. I ran up to my truck, hastily getting inside and starting the engine. It roared to life, and I backed out of my parking space. I threw one last look at the school building before driving off, only to see that the goldfish-woman sprinted out of the front entrance, waving her microphone over her head as if trying to convince me to come back. As if. Did I look like a retard?

My whole body sighed in relief as I drove out of the street, heading home, but my mind was working overtime. What the hell was this all about? What did those people want from me? How did they know my name? This was starting to freak me out, big time.

I wasn't really paying attention when I turned into my street, but when I spotted my house in the corner of my eye, my breathing hitched… About fifteen people were standing in our driveway, all of them armed with cameras and microphones. Oh god, Regina was going to kill me…

"Crap! Could this get any worse!" I angrily grumbled under my breath.

Going home obviously wasn't an option, so I drove past my house, rigidly staring straight ahead, trying not to draw any attention to myself. I prayed that none of them knew what sort of vehicle I was driving, because if that were the case, I was doomed.

"Alright, what's next? A meteor crashing down from the sky and precisely landing on top of me!? Bring it on!" I angrily shouted at no one in particular.

It was happening again, my sanity was slowly slipping away.

I kept driving, not sure where to go now. I couldn't go home, and going back to Forks High also wasn't a very appealing idea… The last thing I wanted to do was to bother Edward with my problems, but I didn't have anywhere else to go… I made a rash decision, hitting the brakes, turning my truck around, and driving off again. I couldn't help myself. I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame, and my new destination was the Cullen mansion.

It took my old truck less than five minutes to get to Edward's place, and I let out another sigh of relief when I was welcomed by the white gate that was slowly becoming familiar to me. The bald security guy was standing in front of it, as usual, but he wasn't alone this time. A big, burly guy with dark, curly hair and a boyish grin on his face was standing next to the bald guy.

Neither of them made a move to open the gate, and I was about to open the window to ask what the problem was, when the guy that I'd never seen before walked up to the passenger side of my truck. He opened the door and got in without saying a word, sitting down without even asking me for my permission.

"Hey there, you're here! How's it going?" He cheerfully addressed me.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, totally gobsmacked by his bold behavior.

He let out a booming laugh. "Oh, yeah, I suppose this is considered rude, I'm Emmett!" He introduced himself, grinning widely at me.

"Oh, right, Edward's brother." I said as I recalled that Alice had mentioned him once.

"That's right! And you're the servant girl! It's so cool to finally meet you in person! As from today, you're a true celebrity, sis!" He announced, the cheerful tone never wavering.

"What are you talking about? What's going on, Emmett? People with cameras are stalking me, everyone is staring at me… Please enlighten me, this whole day has been nothing but weird, so far." I pleaded desperately, hoping that someone could knock some sense into me.

Emmett stared at me as if I'd just told him that I lived on another planet.

"What is going on?" He repeated my question in astonishment. "Don't you ever watch TV? Read a tabloid? Talk to persons who like to gossip?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked again, getting more confused by the second.

"You honestly don't know, do you? You live in a cave!" He concluded, sincerely shocked.

I groaned. "Like I haven't heard that one before. Spill, Emmett!" I ordered, thoroughly stressed, and not caring that I was being rude to someone who I'd met less than ten minutes ago. Besides, Emmett himself appeared to be the king of rudeness, so I was fairly sure that he could handle it.

"You haven't seen today's headlines? _'Edward Cullen falls in love with servant girl and dumps superstar-girlfriend Tanya Denali'_. That sort of stuff…" Emmett provided me with a messy explanation, his tone nonchalant.

"What…" I croaked, my voice breaking.

Emmett sighed, and for the first time he turned serious. "Let's get you inside, you'll find out soon enough. You might want to hurry up before Edward loses it, my grumpy brother is worried sick about you. He already had a feeling that the press would be after you."

I raised my eyebrows at him, but he shook his head and shrugged, waving his hand to sign at the security guy who was still motionlessly standing in front of the gate. He nodded at Emmett, slowly opening it, and I shakily turned into the dirt road. I was deadly silent as we drove along the bumpy path, but Emmett broke the silence rather quickly.

"You can talk to me, I'm not as scary as I look. Then again, you're friends with my brother, so I figure that you're not easily scared." Emmett babbled.

I couldn't keep in my snort. "Sorry, I was just, thinking… So what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to make small talk, hoping to distract myself.

"Helping Alice, in a feeble attempt to save myself from her wrath." He admitted. "Rosie and I are going to stay here for a few days."

"Rosie?" I questioned, turning my head slightly to sneak a glance at Emmett.

"Rosalie's my girlfriend, she came with me for mental support." He replied, winking at me.

"Ah right…" I mumbled.

The white mansion came into sight, and I parked my truck next to Edward's Volvo. Emmett and I both got out, and we walked up to the house, silence surrounding us again. Emmett seemed nice enough, but I didn't feel like talking. Quite frankly I didn't feel like doing anything at the moment. I felt anxious, confused and stressed, and all I really wanted was to sleep, preferably a hundred years, not waking up until all my problems had magically disappeared.

The front door was slightly opened, and Emmett pushed it open a little further, motioning with his hand for me to go first. I cracked a smile at him, and shuffled into the hallway, my legs trembling ever so slightly. For a split second I was at a loss what do now, but I didn't have to worry about that for long, because Edward all but ran out of the living room, taking me into his arms as soon as he reached me, crushing me to his body.

All my agony faded away as soon as I felt his arms around me. I wrapped my arms around his neck in an unbreakable grasp, and greedily inhaled his calming scent. He was holding me so tightly that it was nearly cutting off my air supply, but I couldn't care less about insignificant things like oxygen.

"I'm so, so sorry, Bella. This wasn't supposed to happen…" He whispered in my ear, his voice dripping with guilt.

I wanted to ask him exactly _what_ it was that had happened, but Emmett's booming voice interrupted me.

"Wow, bro! You truly care about her! Seems there's a heart in there somewhere, after all."

"Shut up, Emmett." Edward groaned lowly, the sound muffled against my hair.

"What's going on, Edward? Why are all those people chasing me?" I finally mumbled into his shirt.

He pulled back a little, keeping his arms around my waist, but making sure that he could look me in the eye. "You don't know?" He asked, surprised.

I sighed. "Please, let's not bring up the cave."

"Wasn't going to." He said softly. "Come on, I'm afraid that there's something you have to see."

He freed me from his embrace but took my hand in his, leading me towards the kitchen. Emmett followed us, and when we entered the kitchen, I was greeted by Alice, who was sitting at the breakfast bar, reading some tabloid.

"Alice, what's going on…" I blurted out the same, burning question for the millionth time.

Her look was full of apologies, and she closed the tabloid, pushing it in my direction. I frowned at her, but slowly walked up to the breakfast bar, gazing at the magazine.

I think my heart stopped beating for a second. On the front page was a huge picture, and the scene looked awfully familiar to me. It showed the restaurant in Port Angeles where I'd had dinner with Edward… I hadn't realized at the time that we had been leaning rather close to each other, but I could see now that the scene must've looked sort of intimate to an outsider.

"That's us…" I whimpered, looking back at Edward.

He pressed his lips into a tight line, and his arms snaked around my waist from behind. I turned my attention back to the tabloid, while he pulled me back against his chest, resting his head on top of mine.

The headline above the picture was printed in thick, red letters.

'_Superstar Edward Cullen cheats on girlfriend Tanya Denali with none other than his housekeeper.'_

Oh no… As if there weren't already enough people in this world who hated my guts, not to mention Edward's reputation… My bad luck was starting to rub off on him…

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_Thanks for reading, folks! :D New update tomorrow. _


	11. Break

_Hey there! :) _

_Thank you for the awesome reviews; _**LexiLeothegreat909, Porcelain-Shadow, xostaybeautiful, Mouse555, Rosaa, Missrain, Mrs. M Cullen, Emma, Golden Perception, Lizzy, Xtina316, Clara Fonteyn, Josefa and my fans at the hospital, Thari, AutumnUrie, Marijne, Sara Lautner, Jrow1107, Sprinter1, Et1141412, Bella'Swan'22, Lizzie, SkyBluee, ****Lisa **_and_** Silke112!**

_Since everyone seems to like my Edward so much, he's going to give all of you a free, digital hug today! Isn't that thoughtful of him? :p And everyone gets a virtual, chocolate Easter egg from me, to wish you all a Happy Easter! :D_

_Also; Thanks for the clovers, LexiLeothegreat909, thanks for the Emmett, Rosaa, and thanks for the Easter egg, Lizzie! _

_To Mouse555; No, it wasn't Tanya. :p That wouldn't be realistic, it wouldn't really fit into the timeline, seeing as Tanya had no idea that she would find Edward there with Bella. This was just bad luck, as Bella mentioned. Someone spotted them and recognized Edward, snapped a picture, and saw an opportunity to make some easy money by selling it to the tabloids._

_To everyone at the hospital: Patience, my dears. :p He will act on it, eventually. xD_

_To Thari: I have to make him agree? :O That's your job, girl! xD_

_To Bella'Swan'22: Sure, have your own free, digital Edward! :D_

_To Lizzie: Aahw, I'm so sorry to hear about your granddad. :( *Gives a big hug*_

_To Lisa: A virus? That sucks, hope it's fixed now! :O But I'm glad you liked it. xD_

_To Silke112: Nee, ik heb 'Remember Me' nog niet gezien, maar ik heb wel gelezen hoe het einde is, en ik kan me voorstellen dat je daar om moest janken. :p Dat zou ik vast ook gedaan hebben want het is echt totally sad. xD Dat is ook de reden dat ik die film waarschijnlijk dus niet ga kijken, ik ben meer van de happy endings. xD Ik werd al triest toen ik alleen de samenvatting las, dus ik vind het niet vreemd dat je er droevig van werd. ;) Als ik hem ooit al ga kijken is dat alleen om Robert Pattinson, want ik ben niet zo van dat soort dramatische films. xD_

_Okay people, let's move on! What can I say… Some drama, some fluff… Enjoy!_

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**Break**

My hands trembled as I flipped through the pages, looking for the article. I didn't have to look far; it was on page three. Apparently this was considered breaking news, and it made me shudder in disgust. What was so important about putting peoples' personal lives on display for the whole world to see? Even if those people were actors, pop stars or royalty… Where was the fun in spreading lies about them?

Edward's arms were still around me, locked in an iron grip. It was the only thing keeping me from collapsing to the floor.

"You don't want to read that." He hinted flatly, just as my eyes landed on the rather lengthy text next to the picture. "It's mostly lies, made up by pathetic people who don't have anything better to do." He added, resting his head on my shoulder as he read along.

I blinked, unsure if I wanted to follow his advice or not. I was still shocked, since it had never even crossed my mind that something like this was likely to happen at some point.

"I just don't get it…" I mumbled.

"What don't you get?" Alice asked, smiling comfortingly at me.

"We didn't see anyone taking pictures, that night at the restaurant…"

Emmett's booming laugh sounded from behind us.

"That's the thing with the paparazzi, Bella, they're sneaky bastards. It's their job." He said, mocking my naivety.

"I know, it's just… All lies. Stupid lies, Edward didn't do anything wrong. I never should've gone out to dinner with you." I blurted out, turning my head, glancing back at him.

Edward's hold on me tightened even more. "Don't say that, you're not the one to blame here, Bella. This happens all the time, I can't go anywhere with anyone if I want to stay out of the magazines. Why do you think I picked dreary, old Forks as my getaway place?"

"But still, they're making it look like you're some jerk who's cheating on his girlfriend." I said, my voice no more than a whisper.

"And I'm used to that. I'm only concerned about _you_. Don't worry about me, please, I've learned to ignore things like this a long time ago." Edward answered, his lips right at my ear.

I turned around in his arms, facing him completely, and I decided that I wasn't going to stir up my anger even more by reading that stupid article. With a headline like that, it wasn't hard to guess what the story was about. Edward had cheated on his beautiful girlfriend, with none other than plain, boring Bella Swan. Yeah right, who were they trying to fool anyway?

Edward softly rubbed my arms, never taking his green gaze away from me.

"Can I make you some tea?" Alice offered.

I nodded infinitesimally.

"Come, sit down." Edward suggested, releasing me and holding out one of the bar stools for me.

I sat down, and he did the same, sitting down next to me, keeping minimal distance between our chairs. The kitchen was silent, except for the buzzing sound that the electric water boiler was making.

Emmett sat down across from us, and Alice was getting some mugs from the cupboard over the sink.

The silence went on, but I didn't mind, seeing as I was too busy with my own emotions. Too busy feeling guilty. Of course Edward had said that it didn't matter, and that he was used to things like this. But despite his indifferent view on this whole situation, I felt horrible. I didn't want the entire world to think bad things about Edward because of that one, stupid picture. This never would've happened if I hadn't interfered with his life…

"Please say something, Bella. You're not beating yourself up over this, are you?" Edward murmured, lightly placing his hand on my arm.

"I don't want people to think that you're a heartless jerk." I said, placing my hand on top of his.

Emmett snickered suddenly. "Too late for that, sis. Most people already thought of him as a heartless jerk _before_ this little accident."

"Emmett!" Alice scolded her brother, smacking the back of his head.

"That hurts!" He complained.

"Wimp." Alice sang.

She placed the steaming mugs in front of us, and sat down next to Emmett. I sipped my tea, still deep in thought while the Cullen siblings quietly chatted with each other. I didn't pay any attention to their conversation, but I did look up when the kitchen door suddenly swung open.

A beautiful, blonde haired girl walked in, eyeing us curiously. She looked like a model, and my self-esteem instantly dropped to zero.

"Hey guys, how's it going here?" She questioned, glancing around the table.

Her eyes rested on me for a second, and understanding flashed across her face. She was clearly in on the story, so this had to be Emmett's girlfriend.

"Ah, look who decided to come out of the shower after thirty minutes." Emmett teased her.

"That's not true, I had to dry my hair!" She protested, glowering at him.

Edward noted my slight confusion, and confirmed my assumption by introducing the girl. "This is Rosalie, Emmett's girlfriend."

"Yes, he mentioned that in the car… It's nice to meet you." I said, shyly looking up at her, intimidated by her looks.

I knew I was being judgmental, misled by her amazing looks, but I half expected her to give me the kind of look that Lauren loved to direct at me. It never came. On the contrary, she proved me wrong by returning my smile with a kind smile of her own.

"It's nice to meet you, too. Bella, right?" She spoke to me in a friendly tone.

I nodded. "Yes, that's right."

She grinned and walked up to Emmett, swiftly pecking him on the cheek before sitting down next to him.

The conversation continued like it hadn't been interrupted at all, and I was thankful that I had a few more minutes to organize my thoughts. I did hear some parts of their talk, and found out that Rosalie in fact _was_ a professional model, which didn't surprise me at all. Edward's hand stayed glued to my hand the entire time, and his fingers were mindlessly playing with mine, sending tingles through my arm.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, and Alice and Edward exchanged a wary look.

"Are you expecting someone?" She asked him.

Edward shook his head. "Not really, but I suppose it's alright. Surely no journalists, Joe would've stopped them."

Ah, the bald security guy was named Joe.

"I'll get it." Emmett said, getting up from his chair and walking out of the kitchen, taking large, heavy steps.

"Feeling better?" Edward quietly asked me, his green eyes concerned.

I cracked a smile at him. "Yeah, I think I'm calmer now."

"No better medicine than a cup of tea." Alice said, grinning at me.

I snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure it's the tea."

"Trust me, it won't last long. One week until some other celebrity does something stupid, and everyone's forgotten all about it." Rosalie assured me.

Emmett stepped back into the kitchen, his face straight as he directly addressed me. "It's for you, Bella."

"Me?" I asked, surprised.

"Do you see another Bella?" Emmett joked. "It's your stepmother. Or a woman who claims that she's your stepmother, that's also a possibility." He announced in a more serious tone.

My heart stopped beating for a second, and I felt how Edward's hand tightened around mine.

"Regina?" Edward nearly growled her name.

"Yes, how did she get past security?" I wondered out loud, my calmness evaporating abruptly.

Edward gave me an apologetic smile. "It would make sense for Joe to let in your family. After all, that's what she is."

I felt another wave of panic. "What the hell is she doing here? I don't want to talk to her! I'm sure she knows what's going on by now, and I bet she's furious. I'm dead meat!"

"Do you want me to tell her to leave?" Emmett offered.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Thanks, but I'll have to face her eventually. Shooing her will only make things worse, she'll just attack me as soon as I get home."

I got up from the breakfast bar, making my way out of the kitchen and into the entrance-hall. My feet were feeling heavy, but I suddenly noticed that Edward was right behind me, following my every step.

"It's fine, Edward." I said without looking back, letting him off the hook.

"No, it's not. I'm going to stay with you the entire time, and if she makes _one_ wrong move, I will take her down." Edward replied in a low, menacing voice, not bothering to hide his thoughts about my stepmother.

"Thanks." I muttered, briefly looking back and smiling at him before I stepped up to the front door.

I swallowed loudly, clearing my dry throat before I opened it. I could sense that Edward was standing right next to me, and it made me feel a lot braver.

Regina's eyes widened as soon as I opened the door. The purple dress she was wearing was at least one size too small, and the orange purse that she was carrying didn't add anything to her outfit.

"Isabella! I want you to come home with me, now!" She spat at me.

Edward did a step forward, and I grabbed his arm, stopping him, letting him know that it was alright.

"No, Regina. I promised that I would be home in time to make dinner, and I don't intend to break that promise, so I'm not breaking any rules." I reminded her.

"Don't start with me. You've already broken enough rules." She hissed at me. "Hanging out with Mr. Pretty Boy here, and in the meantime telling me that you're working! Too bad that your head is all over the newspapers now, isn't it?! I can see now _why_ you like this job so much!"

"She _was_ working." Edward suddenly interfered in a strained voice.

"Sure she was, because she's secretly also a waitress at that restaurant in Port Angeles! You know, the restaurant where that nice picture of you two was taken." Regina retorted sarcastically, glaring at Edward. "And by the way, I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to Isabella."

"Then talk to her in a _civilized_ way." Edward hinted in a bleak tone.

She raised her eyebrows at him, but soon focused on me again.

"So, what I was trying to say before your boyfriend rudely interrupted me, is that I want you to come home, right now! And that's not a request." She snapped.

"He's not my boyfriend, Regina. It's a story that the press made up. I'm only working here as his housekeeper." I replied icily.

That shut her up for a split second.

"Oh… So you're not… dating him?" She asked bluntly.

"No! I've told you the truth, I'm only here to earn some money. He's my boss, I'm his employee. The dinner in Port Angeles was nothing more than me doing him a favor." I blurted out my quickly made up excuse that wasn't even a lie.

She didn't truly believe me, I could see it in her eyes, but she did seem a little defeated, and I could guess why. Edward was acidly glaring at her the entire time, and she knew that this wasn't the moment to speak freely.

"Look, I'm going to finish my cleaning here, and after that I will come straight home to do my chores." I said tiredly.

She merely scowled at me.

"Please let me keep this job. Two hours a day, that's all." I muttered.

The scowl stayed in place, but she rolled her eyes in defeat. Good. She gave up. For now, at least.

"We will talk later. I'm going home now, assuming that I can get past all those annoying reporters that are camping in our driveway because of your little adventure! I expect you to be home somewhere _before_ six!" Her icy, gray eyes bored into mine, as if trying to communicate something vitally important.

It was a promise. It was obvious what she was saying: _Don't delude yourself into thinking that you're safe, something will be waiting for you at home._

"Sure. I'll be there." I vowed.

"You'd better." She said flatly.

She turned around, not giving me a second look and completely ignoring Edward. We watched her as she wobbled away on her high heels, aiming for her black Audi, which was parked next to my truck. I slammed the front door shut, effectively banishing her from my vision, and turned to face Edward.

We were silently looking at each other, neither of us making a move to get back to the kitchen.

"This is not good…" Edward concluded darkly.

"I know… I think I should go." I whispered, looking up into his smoldering eyes.

"You've still got two hours…" He remarked.

I sighed. "What's the point in putting it off, Edward?"

He raised his perfect eyebrows at me. "The point? The point is that you need a _break_ from all this, Bella! The cleaning, the angry stepfamily, your stepsister's homework! You hardly have time to sleep, let alone to have… fun."

He had started off firmly, but his voice became softer towards the end of his rant, sounding almost sad by the time that he spoke the word 'fun'.

"A break? Where are you going with this?" I challenged him. "If I stayed, it would be to clean your house, so that's hardly a break."

"I don't want you to clean!" Edward exclaimed in frustration.

"Well in that case I'm sorry, because that's what housekeepers do! They clean!" I enlightened him, bringing him back to reality.

"That's what you've done your whole life! Did you ever have time to do something for yourself?" He asked, running his hand through his tousled, bronze hair like he always did when he was nervous or agitated.

"Not since I was ten." I confessed.

His green eyes turned wary, disapproving. "That's not right…" He said softly.

I bit my lip, not knowing what to say to that. I knew that it wasn't right, but that was just how life was for me.

Edward also remained silent for a second, but when he spoke again his sad tone had turned more optimistic.

"Listen. If you didn't have to mind work, or school, or your horrible stepfamily… What would you be doing right now?" He asked out of the blue.

I frowned at the sudden change of subject. "What kind of a question is that?"

"Just answer it, please." He pressed in a gentle tone.

"Okay…" I began slowly, giving myself another second to think about that. "I guess I would do what most girls do after they've had an extremely bad day... I would hide in my bed, watch some brainless chick flick, and eat loads of chocolate. Come to think of it, I don't even know if I _like_ girly movies, seeing as I've never really watched one before…"

I'd expected Edward to laugh at me, but he didn't. Instead a smile spread across his glorious face. "I think that can be arranged…"

xxx

I was sitting on Edward's huge, soft bed, my back resting against the headboard as I looked up at the flat screen on the wall. The movie playing was 'Confessions of a Shopaholic', something that Alice had picked out for me. Edward had just left with the message that he had to take care of something, but that he would be back soon.

I watched the movie until Edward darted back into the room, distracting me. He sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled sweetly.

"Comfortable?"

"Very." I said, smiling back at him.

"Good. Look what I've found." He said in a playful tone, handing me a large bar of chocolate.

"Edward! You really don't have to do all of that." I complained, feeling a bit embarrassed because of all the attention.

"Sure I do. Milk chocolate good enough for you?"

I beamed at him. "Absolutely."

He smirked as I eagerly started to remove the wrapping. I broke off a small piece and popped it into my mouth, smiling in satisfaction. This chocolate was good!

"Do you want me to go?" He asked, never taking his eyes away from me.

"No. Actually, I'd rather you stayed here and watched the rest of that silly movie with me. If it's not too much to ask." I said innocently, the blood rushing to my face.

"You're seriously asking a guy to watch a chick flick with you?" He quirked an eyebrow at me, but a smile played around his lips.

I moved further to the centre of the bed, making some space for him and giving him my most pleading look.

"How does she do it..." He mumbled to himself before he started to pull off his shoes.

I smiled in victory.

He fell down onto the bed and he scooted closer to me, mirroring my position, also resting his back against the headboard. He kept a tiny no-contact space between us, and I didn't like it one bit.

"I don't bite." I shyly repeated the words that he had used yesterday, when we'd been sitting on the couch.

He glanced sideways, smiling crookedly. "Are you trying to tell me something, Bella?" He teased.

I rolled my eyes, stubbornly moving my gaze back to the flat screen, not in the mood for his teasing. But then I felt how he scooted closer to me, closing the distance between us. I sneaked a look at him, and he was smirking at me.

"Thanks." I mumbled, unsubtly snuggling against his side.

He draped his arm around me, making it easier, and I made myself comfortable.

"Better?" He asked once I had stopped moving.

I sighed in contentment. "Yes."

"Alright then. Now watch the movie. Knowing Alice, she will quiz you on it later. And let me tell you, she will be deeply disappointed when she finds out that you didn't watch closely." He joked.

"Hmm, I'll watch." I said, really making an effort to focus on the movie this time.

I had to admit that it was difficult to pay attention with Edward being so close to me, but I tried. Unfortunately, I got distracted every now and then. Although I couldn't deny that the distractions were very nice… His mere scent was a distraction, and so were his subtle touches. First it was his hand, gently rubbing my arm. Then it was his warm breath, tickling my hair. And halfway through the movie, it were his lips… He gently pressed them against my forehead while one of his hands stroked my hair.

My heartbeat became abnormally fast, and my breathing stopped for a second.

"I wish I could do more for you, Bella." He murmured against my skin, his tone deeply sincere. "You deserve to live like a _princess_, not a servant."

* * *

_Thanks for reading! :D New update tomorrow! _


	12. When Stepmoms Freak Out

_Hey folks! :D_

_Thank you so much for reviewing;_ **Mrs. M Cullen, Clara Fonteyn, BellaCullenSwan17, Marijne, Porkkana, Lizzy, AutumnUrie, Lizzie, Mouse555, Emma, Rosaa, Bella'Swan'22, Rosalies-Evil-Twin, Heal my bleeding heart, Et1141412, Sprinter1, Sara Lautner, Gnomegirl13, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Thari, BELLA-Brown-EYED-Spy, Jordan, Josefa (And Dr. Heart for taking over the reading, you rock!), Twilightaddict, xostaybeautiful, Otme0701, Masenej, LexiLeothegreat909, Temporaryinsanity91**_, _**Lisa **_and _**Silke112!**_ And thanks for all the Easter wishes of course! :D_

_And also; Thanks for the chick flick and chocolate, Bella'Swan'22, and thanks for the crown for princess Bella, LexiLeothegreat909! xD_

_To Lizzie: Jasper is mentioned once as Alice's boyfriend, but he will make his first real appearance in about three or four chapters! :) And I don't think I will use the lullaby, I'm trying to keep it a little more original. ;)_

_To Thari: Do you have time for a date with my Edward tomorrow night? He'll pick you up at seven, let me know. ;) _

_To Jordan: That's alright, hope the moving went well. Good to have you back! ;)_

_To Josefa: Aahw, sorry to hear that you're not feeling well! I'm giving you a free, digital Edward to take care of you! And it's so sweet of Dr. Heart to read it to the children and nurses when you weren't around! :D It's still very cool to hear that even men like this story. xD Oh, and I'm giving Rosalyn her own, digital prince Edward, I'm sure she'll love him. ;) Get well soon! _

_To everyone who thinks Bella should move in with Edward: First of all, that wouldn't be much of a story. :p Second, don't forget that they've only known each other for one short week, it might seem longer, but it really isn't. :p I want to keep things a little realistic, even if it's just fiction. xD I'm not saying it won't happen, just not at this point._

_Alright guys, new chapter! Enjoy! :)_

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**When Stepmoms Freak Out **

All good things come to an end, the cliché states. I wasn't looking forward to going back home and facing Regina, but I was out of time. If I didn't make sure that I was home before six, I would truly be in trouble. I wished this afternoon could have lasted forever. Not because of the chocolate, the movie, or the comfortable bed, but because being in Edward's arms was like heaven. I couldn't remember a place where I had ever felt so safe and protected.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Edward checked for the umpteenth time as we were standing at the front door.

"I'll be fine, really." I assured him. "I'm sure those journalists are long gone by now."

He sighed, his green eyes troubled. "Alright then… If anything is wrong, or if you need to talk to someone, you can always call me."

"I know, Edward…"

"Even if it's in the middle of the night." He insisted.

I let out a short laugh at his overprotective behavior. I guessed that he hadn't had a real friend in a long time, and that he was taking his duties as a friend very seriously.

"I know, thank you. And thanks for today… That was… Just what I needed." I said, smiling timidly.

He rewarded me with his adorable, uneven smile, and then unexpectedly pulled me in for a hug. I reacted automatically, wrapping my arms around him. I closed my eyes for a second, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms one last time before I had to face reality again.

He released me from his embrace, but quickly after leaned in again to press a soft, lingering kiss against my cheek. The light touch of his lips was enough to cause an electric current to flow through my entire body. I was pretty sure that the color of my cheeks could've put lobsters to shame.

He pulled away, and smiled at me. "I'll see you tomorrow, princess." He said, lightly brushing his pale fingers against my jaw line.

"See you, Edward." Was all I managed to mutter.

I reluctantly stepped outside and I heard how he closed the door behind me with a soft 'click'. I think I literally floated to my truck, completely dazed. Despite the horrors that were surely waiting for me at home, I didn't feel anxious or depressed. I was on another one of my Edward-highs.

I was lost in thought as I drove along the bumpy dirt road, but I got a wake-up call when I reached the white gate at the end of the path. A rather large crowd was standing at the other side of it, and I recognized a few of the journalists who had chased after me at school. The goldfish-woman was with them, and she frantically started to wave her microphone in my direction as soon as she spotted my truck.

I groaned in annoyance. These people needed to get a life, instead of preoccupying themselves with messing up other peoples' lives.

Joe also noticed me, and he swiftly walked up to my truck. I opened the window, and he gave me his professional smile.

"Miss Swan, it's best if you slowly drive past them when I open the gate. Just make sure that you keep driving, they'll move out of the way. Don't open your window or stop to talk to them, then everything should be fine." He informed me.

I nodded uncertainly, not sure if this was such a waterproof plan. "Okay…"

I firmly closed my window while he made his way back to the gate. He opened it for me, and I followed his instructions, slowly making my way past the journalists. Most of them were directing their cameras at me, but I blankly stared ahead, ignoring them completely. I vaguely heard their muted voices, and from the corner of my eye I saw how all of them gradually backed away to let me through.

The second I was clear, I took a deep breath and turned onto the main road, driving off as fast as my old truck could handle without falling apart. I sneaked a look at my rearview mirror, and to my relief none of them were making a move to follow me. At least _I_ was rid of them, for now. Too bad that the same couldn't be said for Edward, it seemed that he was their new target…

I drove at a pace that was unreasonably slow, even for my worn out truck. My Edward-high was wearing off, and my anxiety increased as I got closer to home. I knew what was waiting for me, and it wasn't going to be pretty…

When I turned into my street, I was relieved to see that all the journalists were gone. At least that was one thing less to worry about. I parked my truck, getting out at a snail's pace, stalling. What would Regina have in store for me? What would Lauren say? I hadn't seen Lauren since last night, but I could only imagine how much she hated my guts right now. She was probably outraged because I hadn't told her that I worked for Edward. Not to mention that she would without a doubt believe the stories in the tabloids… She would think that I was dating the man who she had unofficially claimed as her future husband…

I opened the front door, my hands trembling. I mentally braced myself for what was coming, and bravely made my way to the kitchen. As soon as I stepped inside, I spotted Lauren. She was sitting at the kitchen table, talking to someone on the phone, but when she noticed me she quickly ended her conversation.

"Oh, I'll talk to you later, Jess… I've got something to take care of… Yeah, that's right, the boyfriend-stealer is here... Yes, I'll let you know. Bye, Jess." She said darkly.

Lovely, exactly what I had expected. She saw me as a threat to her happily ever after.

"Look who we've got here…" Lauren lilted dramatically. This girl had watched too many bad soaps.

"Just say what you want to say, Lauren." I urged her to cut to the chase.

"I don't even know what to say, you filthy liar!" She snapped, getting up from her chair and wildly waving her index finger at me in a reprimanding way.

"I never lied to you! I told you that I had a new job as a housekeeper, but seeing as you couldn't care less about my life, you just never asked for any details." I angrily snapped back.

"Oh come on, are you going to try and play innocent now!" Lauren hissed in disbelief. "You know how much I love Edward Cullen, and you don't bother to tell me that you actually speak to him every stinking day! You could've at least introduced me to him, but you didn't! Even worse, you're _dating_ him yourself! I thought you didn't even like the guy!"

"I'm not dating him, Lauren." I replied tiredly.

"The hell you aren't! I'm not blind, I saw that picture of the two of you at that restaurant, staring into each other's eyes." She said, her tone filled with disgust.

"I was just doing him a favor, keeping him company. I got _paid_ to do it." I explained, emphasizing the word 'paid'.

"Then why is he staring at you like a lovesick puppy in the picture?" Lauren challenged me, narrowing her eyes at me.

I incredulously raised my eyebrows at her, a little shocked. A lovesick puppy? I knew that we had been sitting rather close, but Lauren was making a bigger deal out of it than it actually was.

"We're friends, Lauren. Nothing more than that." I did a last, halfhearted attempt to convince her, but I already knew that she wasn't going to believe me, no matter what I said.

"Whatever. You're a big, fat liar!" Lauren exclaimed childishly. "You're going to regret this, Bella! Someday soon you're going to be sorry that you were even born! Mark my words!" She continued in a more threatening voice.

"Whatever you say. All I can tell you, is that I'm _not_ dating Edward." I muttered, giving up on defending myself. "Where's Regina?" I added, wondering why she still hadn't showed up to back up her daughter and yell some more at me.

"She went out to get a last minute manicure to take things off of her mind. I predict she will be back within now and… ten minutes. I'm sure she'll be _delighted_ to see you." Lauren informed me, feigning a sympathetic look before a smirk formed on her face; she was obviously enjoying my misery.

I ignored her evil grin, and figured that the wise thing to do would be to start making dinner. Hopefully Regina would go easy on me if I followed her orders like a good girl. I made steak and a salad, and Lauren was glaring at me the entire time while I moved around the kitchen. Thoughts were visibly tumbling through her head, but I didn't even want to know which sinister plans were forming in the dark realm that was Lauren's mind.

We were both silent, until I distantly heard the sound of Regina's car.

Lauren snickered. "I'll be upstairs, I don't want to witness this."

She darted up the stairs, a serene smile on her face that stayed in place until she was out of sight. Stupid cow, she was bound to end up like her mother. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost…

The sound of the front door made me flinch. I felt uneasy, already anticipating the nerve-racking conversation with Regina that was now less than a heartbeat away.

"Isabella." She sneered my name while she stepped into the kitchen.

I forgot all about the food I'd been preparing as her nasal voice invaded my ears, and I turned around to face her. She was still wearing the too tight, purple dress; how long until she would actually burst out of it?

"Yes?" I unwillingly responded.

"It's time that you and I have a serious talk." She all but hissed.

"Why? I'm here, I'm making dinner, and I promise that I will use the rest of the evening to do my other chores." I pleaded.

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it."

I sighed. "Look, if you're talking about Edward Cullen, I told you the truth earlier. He's my boss. The thing in the restaurant didn't mean anything, he paid me to accompany him."

Regina glared at me. "Enough with all your pathetic excuses! Come on, it's obvious that he has feelings for you!"

"No, he…" I automatically opened my mouth to go against her statement, but stopped talking when I realized that she was the second person who had mentioned that…

No, it couldn't be… Regina and Lauren merely saw what they _wanted_ to see. That had to be it… He couldn't possibly have feelings for me. Not _that_ kind of feelings, anyway.

"What, no clever comeback?" Regina taunted me.

"Why do you think that?" I asked, trying to keep my annoyance in check long enough to pry for more information. Regina's opinion normally didn't hold any interest for me, but I had to admit that I was truly curious now.

She rolled her piercing, gray eyes at me. "Oh for god's sake, stop playing innocent! This afternoon he protected you like you were his most valuable possession."

I groaned. So that was what she was rambling about. I should've known that overprotective-Edward would raise suspicions…

"We're friends. That's why he was acting like that." I muttered, knowing that she wouldn't buy it.

"Save it, Isabella. You're telling me that you're working, but in the meantime you're doing god knows what with that movie star boy!" She snapped, her tone growing louder with each word.

Her face changed color, turning the same shade of purple as that awful dress that she was wearing, and I could see that she was slowly starting to lose it.

"So what?!" I suddenly blurted out, my anger also getting the best of me. "So what if I'm dating him? As long as I make sure that I clean up your stupid mess behind your lazy ass, it's none of your concern!"

I put my hand over my mouth the second I realized what I'd blabbed out in the heat of the moment. Never before had I talked to Regina like that… I'd never had the guts, and so I had always silently endured her tirades. I didn't know what had come over me this time, but I guessed that even _I_ had a boiling point…

She looked as shocked as I felt, and for a moment she could only stare at me. To my horror her little blackout didn't last long, and she raised her hand in a threatening gesture.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to me like that, Isabella." The quiet tone that she used was even more scary than the usual yelling and screaming.

And then she swiftly moved her hand. Before I even had time to duck my head, I felt a sharp sting against my cheek. My eyes widened and I gazed at her in horror. I could feel a bruise forming on my cheek, and I brought my hand to my face to lightly rub it. She had always treated me like dirt, but she had never hit me before…

"I trust that _this_ will learn you to mind your manners from now on." She said, a miniscule smile tugging at her lips. "One more mistake on your part, and you're quitting that 'job' of yours. Now get back to work, I'm starving." She continued mercilessly.

"Sure…" I mumbled weakly.

"Oh and Isabella… I've made a list with chores that I want you to finish within now and twenty-four hours…"

xxx

I wasn't sure how I had survived the rest of the evening. After I had served Lauren and Regina dinner, I had directly started with the chores on Regina's endless list. Eating had been the last thing on my mind anyway, and so I had settled for doing the laundry, washing the dishes and cleaning the bathroom. Around eight, Lauren had interrupted me while I'd been scrubbing the shower, only to tell me that she needed me to write her English essay.

That's why I was currently sitting in my room, at my desk, working on her homework. Was I the only one recognizing a pattern here? It didn't help that a terrible headache was nagging me, and I rubbed my temples, briefly pausing my typing activities. I blankly stared at my computer screen for several minutes, taking a few deep breaths and trying to relax the painfully tense muscles in my neck.

I nearly fell out of my desk chair when the sound of my cell phone disturbed the peace. I got up to get it from the nightstand, and saw that Angela's name was flashing on the screen.

"Ang, hey!" I greeted her when I picked up.

Angela sounded agitated when she spoke. "Bella! I've tried to call you all day! Are you alright? Mike told me what was going on, and later Katie showed me a tabloid with pictures of you and Edward! So that's why they were after you! Are they gone? Are you grounded for the rest of eternity? Did Regina…"

"I'm fine, don't worry." I interrupted her rambling. "The journalists are gone, and Regina did freak out, but for now I'm allowed to keep the job." I rapidly provided her with a short summary before she would bust a vein.

"Oh… And you and… Edward?" She asked hesitantly.

"What about us?" I questioned teasingly, already knowing where she was going with this.

"Well… Is it true? I mean are you guys… dating?" She carefully formulated her question.

I snorted. "If that were the case, I would've told you, Ang. Edward and I are just friends. We were at the restaurant as friends, it was not a date."

Angela giggled. "Are you positive?"

I frowned, despite the fact that she couldn't see me. "Yes, why?"

She let out another small giggle. "The way he's looking at you in the picture… Well, let's just say that it speaks for itself. I can imagine that people are thinking that there's something going on between the two of you."

I was speechless. Wow. It was one thing for my retarded stepfamily to think that Edward had feelings for me, but my loyal friend Angela… She wouldn't lie to me about this…

"Are you still there? Bella?" Her voice sounded from the other end of the phone.

"Yes…" I muttered, confused.

"Oh okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… Hey… Oh my god, he's on TV!" She broke off her apology to inform me.

"Excuse me?"

"Edward! He's on TV, it's live. He's talking to that scary woman who chased us with her microphone."

"Really?" I asked in astonishment.

It sounded very unlikely to me that Edward would voluntarily speak to the journalists who were desperately waiting for him at the huge, white gate.

"Yes! Go look! Shoo!" She pushed me.

She told me which channel, and we quickly said our goodbyes. I turned on the small, prehistoric television in the corner of my room, and sat down on the edge of my bed. I flicked through channels until his perfect face filled the screen…

He was standing behind the gate, flanked by Joe and Emmett. He was talking to the goldfish-woman, seeming very relaxed and at ease… He even smiled, and his green eyes were determined, but friendly. I turned up the volume, curious what he had to say. I had missed the first part of the interview, but he was currently explaining that he and I were just friends. He also made it clear that he had never cheated on Tanya, and that it was all a big misunderstanding.

As far as I knew, this was very unlike Edward. No temper tantrums, no cold glares. He was acting like an adult, handling the situation. He was sharing the real story with the world, giving people the choice whether they wanted to believe his side or not. My heart swelled with pride, because according to Alice, _I_ was one of the reasons that he had changed so much in such a short amount of time…

After a few minutes a commercial for cornflakes announced that the interview had ended, and a goofy smile crept up my face as I turned off the television. Seeing him like this only made him more attractive… I was glad that he had cleared things up, instead of hiding in his white palace and running away from the problem.

I carelessly dropped the remote control on my bed, and dutifully fell back into my desk chair. I had a hard time concentrating on the rest of Lauren's essay after Edward's little revelation, but I did feel better, more relaxed. I bravely kept typing, praying that this essay would make some sense once I was done.

By the time that I was almost finished my cell phone buzzed briefly, startling me. I checked it and saw that I had a new text message, but I didn't recognize the number of the sender.

"Weird…" I muttered, opening it.

'_Hey there! I'm sending you a virtual hug, in case you need one. Sweet dreams. Edward'_

My heart skipped a beat. Oh right. I realized that I'd used this phone to call him, that one time when I'd been on the verge of a breakdown. He must have saved my phone number… Stalker. Not that I had a problem with that, my insides were spontaneously melting at his sweet message. I bit my lip, deliberating for a moment, but before long I was already texting him back.

'_Back at you, if anyone deserves a hug it's you… I saw you on TV, I'm very proud of you, Edward. Sleep well. x Bella'_

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_Thanks for reading! Hope to see you all tomorrow! :)_


	13. Magical Places

_Hey everyone! :D_

_You guys are the best reviewers on the planet! Thank you; _**BellaCullenSwan17, Lizzy, Mouse555, Xtina316, Temporaryinsanity91, Sara Lautner, Rosalies-Evil-Twin, Me, Thari, Silke112, Stephanie97, Porkkana, Namratha, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Mrs. M Cullen, Jordan, Vampiregirlsrule, Bella'Swan'22**_, _**Paramore luver, Twilightluver39, Parkerstwilight, Sprinter1, Otme0701, xostaybeautiful, Harrigination, Emma, Et1141412, Ilovecookies1996, Rosaa, Lisa **_and_** AutumnUrie!**

_To Lizzy and Namratha (And everyone who is wondering about the kiss): It will happen soon, I swear on my Twilight-books! _

_To Xtina316 and Lisa: I promise that Lauren and Regina will get what they deserve, eventually! :p_

_To Thari: Have fun on your date, don't make a fool of yourself, girl. :p_

_To Silke112: Lol, ik ben niet zo van de anime series, dus ik denk niet dat ik dat ga kijken. ;)_

_To Vampiregirlsrule: I'm afraid there won't be anything in Edward's PoV, because honestly, I suck at writing his PoV, and I rarely ever do it. ;)_

_To Paramore luver: Like I mentioned yesterday, it's a bit soon for Bella to move in with Edward. They've known each other for one short week, and haven't even confessed their feelings for each other, yet. ;) _

_To Emma: No, with all the daily updates I can't do longer chapters. :p_

_To Rosaa: Aahw, I'm sorry for you. :( Hope you'll feel better soon! *Gives a hug*_

_Let's move on to chapter thirteen! Have fun! :)_

* * *

**Magical Places**

Thursday morning. The second I woke up I knew that this was going to be an unusual day. My first clue was the sun. It was peaking through the one, tiny window that my undersized bedroom possessed. Sunshine in Forks was like a downpour in the middle of a desert: a highly unique event. From that moment I was sure that this wasn't going to be an ordinary day…

At first, I thought that I was just imagining things, seeing as everything was dreadfully normal when I came downstairs. Regina reminded me that I had only nine hours left to finish all the chores on her list, and Lauren snapped at me that she needed her essay.

But when I arrived at Forks High, it was safe to say that my prediction had been right on target. Usually, people were ignoring me, but today things were different. Throughout the day, several students who I had never talked to before in my life, came up to me. It were mostly juniors, and all of them were excitedly asking me what it was like to be friends with the one and only Edward Cullen. Everyone was dying to know what he was like in real life, and I diplomatically answered all their burning questions. The highlight of my day was a shy, brown-haired girl who even asked me if she could have my _autograph_.

Being the centre of attention wasn't something I particularly liked, but it was a very refreshing experience that people were being nice to me for once. They were talking _to_ me, instead of talking _about_ me behind my back. And even if the only reason for their enthusiasm was the fact that I had a friend who was a movie star, it was rather funny to see Lauren's bitter face when I spotted her during one of my encounters with a group of cheery juniors.

The only person who asked me questions that I wasn't so keen on answering, was Angela. During lunch she asked me where that ugly bruise on my cheek came from. I lied, telling her that I had slipped while scrubbing the shower, falling against the tiles with my face. She didn't look convinced, but luckily she let it go. I didn't like lying to Angela, but I also didn't feel like telling anyone about Regina's violent actions.

Thanks to all the uncommon events the day flew by, and I was extremely grateful when my last class ended. I didn't have to guess what the reason for that was; I was aching to see Edward again. I had seen him less than twenty-four hours ago, but that little detail didn't stop me from already missing his presence.

As I was on my way to the Cullen house, I loudly sang along with the radio, deliberately ignoring its horrible reception. The sun was still shining brightly, and the temperature in the truck was rising gradually, but I didn't dare to open the windows. My voice wasn't something that the good townspeople wanted to hear while they were sitting in their front yards on what probably was the only sunny day that Forks would see this year.

The sunny weather seemed to have a positive influence on everyone; even ever-serious-Joe was cracking a smile at me when he opened the gate, its shiny white paint glistening in the sunlight. I went along with the rhythm of the bumpy dirt road, and grinned like a maniac when I saw the white semi-castle that was Edward's house.

I whistled a random tune as I walked up the porch steps, and I used my key to get inside, saving the Cullens a trip to the front door. It turned out that I could have saved myself the trouble, because Edward came dashing down the stairs just as I shuffled into the entrance-hall.

"Bella! You're here." He called enthusiastically, smiling brightly at me, showing his perfect teeth.

"Wow, now that's what I call a warm welcome." I joked as I walked up to him.

"I heard your truck." He confessed.

He closed the distance between us, and to my surprise he immediately presented me with a hug, wrapping his arms around me and nuzzling his face against my hair. His breath tickled me, and I let out a small giggle.

"I'm happy to see you, too." I said teasingly, moving up my hands to playfully ruffle his messy hair. Oh. It _did_ feel as soft as it looked…

He gently pulled away, grinning like a madman.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you with my enthusiasm." He said, struggling to keep his face serious. "So, how was your… day."

His cheery tone wavered at the last part of his sentence, as his eyes intently studied my face.

"What?" I asked, wondering why his mood had shifted all of the sudden.

"What happened to you?" He asked mildly, bringing his hand up to my face, softly caressing my cheek with the back of his hand.

_Oh crap, that stupid bruise. What was the excuse again? Oh right, slipping in the bathroom! _

"I fell down… I mean slipped… When I was cleaning the bathroom… You know how slippery a shower can get when you're scrubbing it. Or actually, I suppose you don't know, seeing as you're not much of a cleaner, and…" I nervously babbled on and on as his emerald eyes kept watching me, in a way that made lying even more impossible for me than it already was. Lying to Angela was a piece of cake compared to this.

"You're lying, Bella." He interrupted my babbling. His voice was calm, but his eyes showed me that he was upset.

"I'm not…" I muttered.

He sighed. "I can tell, Bella. Your face is an open book."

I bit my lip. I didn't want to tell him about Regina. It would only result in him worrying about me… He didn't need to do that.

"You're wrong." I tried again, momentarily gazing down, avoiding his smoldering eyes.

"No, I'm not." He stated sadly. "Did Regina do this?"

_Shit… Can this guy read minds?_ I felt my cheeks heat up, and I knew that lying was out of the question now. Even if I did a pitiful attempt, my traitorous face would surely give me away.

"It's not your problem, Edward." I said quietly, looking up at him again. I wasn't denying, but politely telling him to let it go.

He raised his eyebrows, his eyes darkening. "How can you say that!" He demanded.

All of the sudden, his tone sounded similar to that scary tone that he had used when I'd bumped into him that very first time, in the office. I flinched involuntarily; that outburst had been the first and last time that he had talked to me like that, and so this caught me off guard.

"I- I just don't want you to worry about me." I stuttered.

He laughed a hard, emotionless laugh. "Are you kidding me! I worry about you every second of the day, do you know that? Your stepfamily is utterly nuts! You can't allow this Regina to treat you this way! You can't stay with these people any longer. They're hurting you!"

He reached out to lightly touch my cheek again, his green eyes firmly fixed on mine.

"It's just a bruise, it'll go away." I mumbled, taking a step back, out of his reach.

He dropped his hand and let out a frustrated groan. "That doesn't make it right, Bella. How can you stay with these people and let them treat you like that?" He asked, his voice growing louder and louder.

I narrowed my eyes, getting angry with him. What was he implying? That it was my own fault that I was being tortured by my sick stepfamily?

"How can I stay with them? Because I don't have a choice! You know that! No matter what Regina does to me, _I_ can't run off to one of my fancy getaway castles! It's nice and convenient for you that you've got five houses and ten cars, but I don't! Welcome to the real world, Mr. Movie Star!" My voice raised with every word that I threw at him.

He blinked, seeming shocked. We stared at each other in silence, his green eyes locked with mine.

When he spoke again his tone was somewhat calmer than before, but he sounded deeply hurt. "I see… That's the way you see me, am I right? Some spoiled, arrogant brat who doesn't know how the real world works."

My heart sank at his words. That was the last thing I wanted him to think. That was not how I saw him, not since I'd actually gotten to know him. On the contrary, I was proud of all the progress that he had made during that one, short week that I had spent with him. I didn't know where this horrible outburst of mine had come from, but I already regretted my words.

"No Edward, I… That was…" I tried to form an apology, but I was at a loss for words.

"It's alright, I understand. I can't even argue with you, you're probably right." He said, sounding more sad than angry at this point.

He ran his hand through his hair, and for the first time he dropped his eyes, freeing me from his stare.

"Edward…" I began.

He glanced up at me again, and I couldn't bear to see the sullen look in his normally bright, dancing eyes.

"I told you it's fine, Bella. The message is clear. You see me as nothing but a shallow, brainless Hollywood star. I get it." He snapped, taking me by surprise again.

I'd only had to deal with grumpy-Edward once, seeing as he had left the building shortly after our first encounter, but he was obviously back.

"I never said that!" I protested.

"I know that you're _thinking_ it! Am I ever wrong when it comes to your thoughts?" He retorted, smugly quirking one of his eyebrows at me, daring me to disagree with him.

"No but…"

"Then stop trying to talk yourself out of it! You're allowed to think about me whatever you want, but I would appreciate it if you didn't lie to me!" He said flatly.

_Sure, call me a liar, why don't you!_

"That's it, I'm leaving!" I exclaimed angrily. "I'll come back to clean your house later, I want to be alone." I added quickly, realizing that I was still his employee.

"Wait, you don't…" He started, his eyes softening ever so slightly.

"No, I do. I have to get out of here." I interrupted him.

I caught one last glimpse of his blazing, green eyes before I swiftly turned around and all but ran to the front door. I skipped out of the house, and slowly walked up to my truck.

Tears were burning behind my eyes. I didn't want to fight with Edward… He was the only thing that brightened up all my rainy days, and instead of thanking him, I was using him to let off steam, because I couldn't handle my messed up life anymore. I was well aware of how unfair I was being to him, and a part of my brain shouted at me to go back and apologize… But I didn't have the guts.

I stopped walking when I reached my truck, mindlessly gazing up at the red monster, deliberating. I needed to be alone, but going home was certainly not the best idea if I wanted to clear my head. I restlessly fumbled with my car keys as I glanced around, looking for inspiration. Not that my surroundings were that inspiring… Trees, trees and more trees… And a house that I didn't want to go back to, not right now.

And then I suddenly spotted it. The beginning of a small trail that snaked between the huge, green trees, disappearing into the forest…

I put my car keys in my pocket and swiftly made my way to the edge of the forest, where the trail beckoned to me. A short walk in the quiet forest was just what I needed, and at least the thin dirt path would make sure that I could find my way back without getting lost.

I started to walk at a steady pace, disappearing between the trees. The only sound was the singing of birds, combined with the rustling of leaves. I had to admit that it was peaceful, but despite my calming surroundings, I didn't calm down one bit. I had been walking for less than three minutes when my knees started to shake uncontrollably. The tears that I'd been holding back the entire time started to spill out, and I roughly brushed them away with the back of my hand. I wanted to ignore the stupid reactions that my body was having to my fight with Edward, but it was no use. My legs were no longer able to carry me, and I collapsed to the ground in defeat.

The tears were flowing rapidly now, and I buried my head in my hands, resting my head on my knees.

"Bella?" His smooth, velvety voice called my name, and my head snapped up in a reflex.

Great, he had followed me. I didn't want Edward Cullen to witness my breakdown, that was the last thing I needed at the moment. I opened my puffy eyes and saw that he was kneeling down beside me. I stared right into his bright, green eyes, and my breathing hitched.

"Did you follow me? Leave me alone, Edward." I sniffed, turning my head away.

He sighed. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, sweetheart."

"Which part of the phrase 'leave me alone' is too complicated for you?" I huffed.

Truth be told, I didn't even care anymore that he had snapped at me. I mostly blamed myself, and that was the main reason that I didn't feel like facing him. I didn't want him to see me cry. I didn't want him to think that I was weak, even if I was.

I crawled up from the ground, not giving him a second look, and I started walking again, following the trail further into the forest.

"Please, Bella. Stop running." He pleaded.

I heard his footsteps behind me; he wasn't going to give up easily.

"I told you I needed to be alone, I'll just keep walking until you give up." I informed him, never slowing down and stiffly looking straight ahead.

"Wandering around a forest alone isn't smart." He warned me.

"I'll stay on the trail." I responded curtly.

"A wild animal doesn't care if you're walking on a trail, Bella! It simply attacks!" He was starting to sound desperate.

I had no witty remark to that, and decided to keep my mouth shut.

"What, you're going to ignore me?" His voice sounded from a few feet behind me.

I kept walking and walking.

"You can walk all you want, I won't leave you here, on your own." He said in a final tone.

I kept moving.

"Be stubborn like that. I can't leave you… If something happens to you I'll never forgive myself." He was saying the last part to himself, rather than at me.

After a while he gave up on the talking, but I could hear his footsteps behind me, indicating that he was still following my every step. I wasn't even sure why I kept going, but I was too stubborn to turn around now. I didn't want him to win this little 'game'.

I wasn't really paying attention to the flora and fauna around me, keeping my eyes glued to the trail, but after a while, the light that filtered through the trees seemed to change, and I curiously lifted up my head. I increased my already swift pace, drawn to the bright light ahead of me.

"Are you still ignoring me?" Edward asked dryly, suddenly ending the silence.

My heart jumped as I recalled his existence, and in my surprise I turned my head to glance at him. He grasped that opportunity to unleash the hypnotic powers of his eyes on me, giving me another one of his pleading looks.

"Please, let's go home. We can talk there." He said in a voice like melting honey, trying to be persuasive.

"No wait, not yet." I replied.

"What?" He said, puzzled.

"Don't you see that?" I asked, pointing at the bright, green light ahead of us.

He followed my gaze, frowning slightly. "Yeah… Probably just an open space."

"I want to check it out." I announced.

He sighed in exasperation, but when I started walking again, he did follow me. This time he wasn't walking behind me, but next to me. Secretly I was glad that he had stubbornly stayed with me the entire time, because the thought of being alone in the middle of this silent forest gave me the creeps.

"Is this really necessary?" Edward questioned after five more minutes of strolling the forest.

"Yes, I think we're almost..." I stopped in the middle of my sentence, because the sight before me had rendered me speechless.

I had just stumbled through a large bush of ferns, to land in a scene that came straight out of a fairytale…

The perfectly round open space was bathing in the sunlight, and wildflowers were growing everywhere, softly swaying in the light breeze. I spotted a small, bubbling stream at the edge of the meadow, and I pinched my arm to make sure that I was truly awake.

"Wow…" Edward murmured, sounding sincerely awed. He was standing beside me, also taking in the magical scene. "Perhaps we should argue more often…"

* * *

_Thank you very much for reading, enjoy your day, and see you all tomorrow! xD_


	14. Sharing Secrets

_Hey folks! :D_

_Lol, I woke up this morning to find out that fanfictiondotnet had literally exploded in my inbox. xD So thanks for leaving all those reviews, I'm glad everyone is still liking the story! And of course also a big thank you to all the other people who are reading this, and added it to their list of favorite stories!_

_Special thanks to; _**Mrs. M Cullen, Stephanie97, Namratha, Porkkana, Golden Perception, AutumnUrie, Clara Fonteyn, Rosaa, Heal my bleeding heart, Silke112, Madeofawesome22, Me, Lizzy, Sprinter1, Parkerstwilight, Moftan, Cullen4life1996, BellaCullenSwan17, Jrow1107, Vampiregirlsrule, Mouse555, xBellaCullenWannabex, Xtina316, Sara Lautner, Thari, Bella'Swan'22, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Jordan, xostaybeautiful, LexiLeothegreat909**_ and _**Lisa!**

_And of course; thanks for the Jasper and Emmett, Heal my bleeding heart, and thanks for the basket of roses, LexiLeothegreat909! :D_

_To Silke112: Ja, Bella is hartstikke verliefd op Edward. :p_

_To Madeofawesome22: Thank you for catching up with the story and leaving all those funny/creative reviews! :D They really made me laugh! xD Also; loved the ode to Regina. :p_

_To Thari: Dude, you're saying something like 'Edward is waiting on my bed'! How can I not think bad thoughts when you say something like that! :O Anyway, I think we can conclude that the date was a success, well done girl! By the way, you seriously weren't drunk when you wrote that review? The whole queen-of-wonderful-valley-thing makes me doubt if you were sober. :p I'll grill you later on MSN. xD_

_And then there were a lot of questions that went something like this: 'Are they going to tell each other that they are in love?' 'What was the point? Is something going to happen?' 'Make them kiss soon!' And last but not least: 'PLEASE LET THEIR FIRST KISS BE IN THE MEADOW!' (Yes Lisa, I'm talking to you, Miss Shouty Capitals. :p Lol kidding, your enthusiasm is awesome! xD)_

_The answer is: All your questions will be answered in today's chapter. :p _

_I hope I didn't forget anyone, if I did, feel free to kick my butt. xD And if I accidentally forgot to answer your question, just send me an angry PM, or stalk me on twitter: www[dot]twitter[dot]com/Shirley86__

_Okay, chapter fourteen, all I can say is; Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sharing Secrets**

My feet started to move on their own accord, and I darted through the field of flowers, awestruck by this magical place in the middle of nowhere. I reached the flowing stream, and kneeled down beside it. The water was crystal clear, and I could see the rocks on the bottom of the small river.

"This is amazing…" Edward remarked quietly.

He had followed my example, kneeling down next to me as we both gazed into the water, which was sparkling in the sunlight.

"Yes, it is…" I agreed.

I extended my right hand, lightly skimming my fingertips over the surface of the water. It was ice cold, and in an impulse I splashed some of it in Edward's direction. I glanced sideways, and he was scowling at me, some drops of water sliding down his perfect face.

"That wasn't nice!" He growled playfully.

I blinked innocently at him. "Oh, I'm sorry, Edward."

"You will be!" He promised.

He reached out his hand, and started to splash small amounts of the freezing water in my direction, getting back at me. The cold drops landed on the exposed skin of my arms and face, and I shivered.

"If you want a war, you can get it!" I threatened, grinning at him.

I was about to reach out again to attack him with more of the cool water, when he leaned in and gently grabbed my wrists, restraining me.

"That's not fair!" I complained, struggling against his grip.

"All is fair in love and war! Didn't you just call this a war?" He reminded me smugly.

"In that case…" I mumbled.

I launched myself on top of him, taking him by surprise, and he fell back against the mossy ground. He never let go of my wrists, though, and I was still a prisoner of his firm grasp.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Edward said, smirking at me. "I'm much stronger than you are."

"That's what you think." I bluffed as I was trying to free myself from his iron grip. Who was I kidding, he was ten times stronger than I was.

He gave me an unedited demonstration of his strength when he suddenly shoved me off of him, rolling us over so that he was on top of me, all the while being careful not to crush me with his weight. I squealed in surprise, and he pinned my wrists to the ground on either side of my head.

"You were saying?" He teased me. "It seems you're at my mercy now, princess."

I glanced up at him, into those liquid, green eyes. There was a carefree, playful sparkle in them, and they were so beautiful… _He_ was so beautiful. The crooked smile around his pouty lips brightened up his entire face, making his flawless features even more striking.

"It seems I am…" I whispered.

His smile grew wider, if that were even possible, and I couldn't do anything other than stare at him, completely mesmerized. The sun caused a halo of bright light to surround him, and it made him look like an angel.

I cautiously attempted to free my right hand, and he willingly released it. My hands were itching to touch that perfect face, and I reached up to softly caress his chiseled jaw. He closed his eyes for a second, leaning in to my touch. When he opened them again, the liquid emerald was dancing.

"Bella?" His smooth voice made my name sound like music.

"Yes…" I breathed.

He frowned a little, as if he was deliberating, but he snapped out of it before I could ask him what was on his mind.

"Would you mind very much if I kissed you right now?" He murmured, his warm breath caressing my face, stunning me even further.

Oh god… Had I died and gone to heaven? Was I dreaming? Oh what the hell, I didn't even care. I just wanted to enjoy this before the clock would strike twelve again, ending the magic.

"Actually, I would mind very much if you _didn't_…" I encouraged him.

He smiled that uneven smile at my response, and he slowly lowered his head, his eyes boring into mine. My heart accelerated as the tip of his nose skimmed against mine, and I closed my eyes in anticipation. And then I felt how he brushed his soft, smooth lips sweetly against mine. I instinctively wrapped my arms firmly around his neck as I kissed him back, making sure that he couldn't escape me, seeing as some part of my brain was still convinced that he would disappear in a sudden puff of smoke.

His hands tangled in my hair, and it inspired me to do the same. I knotted my hands in his silky, tousled hair, securing his face to mine. He obviously took it as a sign that I wanted him to keep going, for without a warning, he deepened the kiss. I gasped in surprise, as did he, and his minty breath invaded my mouth. I had definitely died. This had to be heaven, nothing had ever felt this amazing.

At some point I started to feel dizzy, and it took me a second to realize that it wasn't a result of Edward's kissing-expertise, but a result of being in desperate need of air.

I reluctantly pulled back, and he caught on, also pulling back, offering me a chance to breathe. I let myself fall back against the moist forest floor, trying to catch my breath. He laid down beside me, and I turned my head to look at him. He copied my movement, also turning is head, so we were face to face. His face was mere inches away from mine, and I didn't miss the brilliant grin that was plastered on it. His green eyes were shining as they gazed at me in an admiring way.

"Wow, Edward. That was…" I trailed off, not sure how to describe the wonderful sensations that he had made me feel with one simple kiss.

"Breathtakingly fantastic?" He offered, smirking at me.

"Hmm, yes. That sounds about right." I agreed.

I scooted closer to him, curling up against his side, nuzzling my face against his neck. One of my hands traced the planes of his muscular chest through his gray shirt, and he closed his eyes, his face completely relaxed.

My heart was still beating rapidly with excitement, but at the same time I felt very confused. What did our kiss mean? We clearly didn't fit into the category 'friends' anymore, I could see that. But then what? Was this something serious, or had this magical place done funny things to his brain? I knew what _I_ felt… My feelings for him were shockingly serious, but did he feel the same? Maybe he'd simply been caught up in the moment… For all I knew, he might as well still be mad at me… After all we hadn't really smoothed things out after our little argument.

"Edward?" I asked as I nervously started to fumble with the fabric of his shirt.

"Yes, love?" He answered, opening his eyes, looking down at me.

My heart fluttered. Did he just call me 'love'?

"I'm sorry about earlier… I didn't mean it when I said those horrible things. I like you, a lot. You have to know that." I muttered, blushing a little.

He smiled down at me and pressed a kiss against my forehead. "I know. Let's forget about that, you've made it pretty clear just now that you _do_ like me." He winked at me, and I blushed even deeper.

"So you're not mad at me?" I checked to make sure.

He chuckled. "Do I look mad to you?"

I let out a snort. "No… You look… happy."

"I _am_ happy. And that has everything to do with you, love." He said softly.

His arms suddenly snaked around my waist, and he pulled me on top of him, draping me across his chest. I shrieked in surprise, and he smirked at me. When my heart was acting normal again, I snuggled closer to him, resting my head on his chest. I listened to his calm, steady heartbeat for a while, until I couldn't keep in the burning questions any longer.

"Can I ask you something, Edward?" I asked, lifting my head up a little in order to look at him.

"Anything." He replied, flashing me an encouraging smile.

The blood rushed to my cheeks; this was going to be embarrassing, but I had to know… "How do you feel about me?" I blurted out.

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Is that a trick question? I think you can guess."

"No… I mean, you kissed me… But do you really… _Like_ me?" I muttered.

He rolled his eyes. "Silly girl… You really want to hear how I feel about you?"

"Yes."

"It might scare you…" He warned, his gaze earnest.

I frowned at him."Scare me? How?"

He ignored my question but asked one of his own. "Do you want to hear it or not?"

"I do…" I answered honestly.

"Okay, you asked for it." He warned one last time.

I held my breath as I waited for him to talk, wondering what he could possibly say to me that he thought would make me run and hide.

"I think I fell in love with you during our very first talk, in the kitchen, after my little outburst. I never believed in love at first sight, I thought it was something ridiculous that only happened in books and movies... Regardless, I couldn't deny that I was head over heels for you, and in the days that followed after that first talk, I couldn't think about anything other than you. Your visits became the highlight of my day, every hour you spent at the mansion I was constantly looking for opportunities to chat with you…" He stopped to take a deep breath.

I could only stare in shock.

"So to answer your question; I've _never_ had feelings like this for anyone, Bella. The thing with Tanya… that was nothing compared to what I instantly felt for you. That's why I broke up with her, because I finally understood how it felt to _truly_ be in love with someone."

More brainless staring on my part.

"I don't want to freak you out, because I know that we've only known each other for such a short time, but that's how I feel. I lied when I told you I didn't know why I reacted differently towards you than to anyone else, it was because I fell for you from the start." He continued firmly, his eyes burning with sincerity. "I love you, Isabella Swan."

I froze and swallowed loudly. He loved me? The last time that someone had said those three words to me had been over eight years ago, and I had never expected to hear them again from anyone, not after my father had died... It turned out that I'd been wrong all along, because this perfect, beautiful boy who I was madly in love with had said those three words, just like that…

"Bella? I'm sorry, maybe that was…" He began.

I silenced him, placing my finger against his flawless lips.

"I love you, too." I whispered, lowering my face, moving it closer to his.

His lips turned up into a smile, and I removed my hand, replacing it with my lips. He responded immediately, his lips eagerly moving with mine. It felt as good as the first time, and I let out a contented sigh against his soft lips.

I mentally cursed myself when I ran out of air again and had to pull away. He noticed my reluctance and grinned.

"Breathing is such a horrible thing, isn't it." He teased.

I glowered at him, but he only seemed more amused.

"You are so cute when you're trying to be angry." He murmured.

He brought up his hands, and cupped my face between them. He gently pulled me closer to him, reaching out his neck to lightly press a tempting kiss against my throat. I realized what he wanted and I willingly lifted up my head, helping him out. He covered my entire throat in kisses, before slowly kissing his way up to my jaw, causing my breathing to become erratic. I closed my eyes, reveling in the feeling of his lips against my sensitive skin. He kissed his way back down until he reached my pulse point, softly sucking on it.

"Edward…" I whimpered his name in pleasure.

His lips left my throat. "If you want me to stop, all you have to do is tell me."

"God no." I protested, my hands travelling into his bronze hair, tugging at it to unsubtly guide him back to his original task.

He laughed softly, the sound muffled against my throat. "Alright, I get the message."

He resumed his actions, placing numerous sweet kisses against my overheated skin, while I tried not to faint. After a long moment he stopped, and I had to admit that I needed a break to even out my breathing. I collapsed on top of him, resting my cheek against his chest.

"Still doubting the fact that I have feelings for you?" He unexpectedly whispered in my ear.

I grinned goofily. "No… Not at all…"

"Good." He murmured against my ear before swiftly kissing the hollow underneath it.

"Although… I have to ask now… Why me? Why did you fall for me, Edward? You had issues with almost everyone who tried to get close to you, but you fell for me right away? That doesn't sound logical." I asked hesitantly. I didn't want to ruin the moment, but I was dying to know.

His hands lazily started to rub up and down my back, and it took him a minute to answer me.

"I'm not sure… For one thing, there was something about you… Something about your appearance, your eyes, something that beckoned to me. Aside from that, I immediately sensed that something was going on with you. That something wasn't right…" He explained, probably referring to the problems I had with my stepfamily.

"And then you found out about my stepfamily and you felt sorry for me?" I pried.

"No, it wasn't just that." He quickly disagreed. "Maybe it was at first… I was just curious to find out more about you. When I talked to you the second day you came over, and you told me about your stepfamily, I realized that there were already enough people who were complicating your life. It seemed so unfair, and I felt this unexplainable urge to make your life a little less difficult…"

"So it was out of pity!" I accused him.

He sighed, and glanced up at me, his eyes locking with mine. "Bella, like I told you, that was not the real reason. I didn't realize it at the moment, but looking back… The only reason I cared in the first place, was because you had already stolen my heart the moment I first laid eyes on you."

"Are you joking? You yelled at me like a lunatic!" I said mockingly.

He grimaced, still not very fond of that particular memory.

"I was taken by surprise, I acted on an impulse… I treated you like I would treat every other person that I came across… When Alice made me apologize to you, and I actually _talked_ to you… That's when everything changed."

"I don't understand." I whispered as one of my hands moved up to his face to gently stroke his cheek.

"What don't you understand?"

"Just… Why you were interested in me. There's nothing even remotely interesting about me. I'm having trouble understanding what caught your attention." I admitted.

He looked thoughtful for a minute, and my hand moved from his cheek to his forehead, my fingers smoothing out the tiny creases there.

"You might as well have asked me why people fall in love… I don't know why, Bella. I only know what I feel. That's why I knew from the beginning that it was worth taking the risk of letting you in, because I wanted nothing more than to know you better."

"Okay… But why do you never take the risk with other people? Even if it's only as friends." I probed, basically asking him the same question that I had thrown at him that night at the restaurant.

My hands were absentmindedly playing with his hair now, the several shades of copper lighting up in the sun.

He shrugged. "Mainly because it's hard for me to trust people. Once you become… famous, for lack of a better word, everyone suddenly wants something from you. When people are nice to you, you just _know_ that it's not without reason. It's nearly impossible to define if people truly like you for who you are, or because you are 'the famous guy'."

"Not everyone's the same." I reminded him quietly.

He let out a short laugh. "Yeah, that's one of the many things you've learned me, Bella. But you have to know that many people have disappointed me in the past, people who I thought were my close friends. I remember several so called 'friends' who were selling stories about my personal life behind my back, and at some point I just… gave up. I didn't want to waste any more time on people who were likely to disappoint me anyway."

"I guess I can see your point… So… you made an exception for me because you… liked me?" I pressed, still not fully able to grasp this fact.

"Partly." He said. "But also because I had a good feeling about you… You seemed so kind, and caring, and selfless… Despite your stepmother and stepsister giving you all the wrong examples, you were sweet and kind. You apologized to me, even after I'd treated you like a total jerk…"

I smiled timidly at him. "Maybe I apologized because I had a good feeling about you, too."

He gave me his crooked smile. "You did, huh?"

"Maybe…" I mused, touching the tip of his nose with my index finger. He had such a cute nose. Come to think of it, everything about him was cute…

"What are you thinking?" He interrupted my marveling.

"Your nose is cute." I blabbed out, letting out a loud groan once it occurred to me that I had blurted out the uncensored truth for the millionth time.

A wide smirk stretched across his face. "Your _everything_ is cute."

I giggled, briefly pecking him on the lips before I rested my head on his chest again. He wrapped his arms tightly around me, holding me close to him. The sun warmed us, and after a while I was dozing off… Until I recalled the existence of the _real world_.

I shot up in a reflex, and Edward's arms loosened around me. His green eyes were gazing curiously at me, taking in the horrorstruck expression on my face.

"What's going on?" He asked, oblivious.

"We must go back." I choked out, rolling off of him and sitting up.

He was completely unaware of the problem, an uneven smile playing around his lips. "No we mustn't, come back here." He grabbed my wrist, pulling me back against his body.

"No, Edward! Regina… I'm not allowed to be at your place for longer than two hours a day! I was supposed to be home thirty minutes ago…"

* * *

_Thanks for reading! :D Like, don't like? Let me know. See you all tomorrow!_


	15. The Evil Stepsister

_Hey there! :D_

_Thank you for all the heartwarming reviews; _**Mrs. M Cullen, Clare Fonteyn, Xtina316, Parkerstwilight, Lisa, Harrigination, Vampiregirlsrule, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Sprinter1, AutumnUrie, BellaCullenSwan17, Thari, Namratha, Bella'Swan'22, Lizzy, Paramore luver, MissGCullen, Missrain, Edwardcullenlover954, Jrow1107, Izzie, Golden Perception, Jordan, Et1141412, Time4, Stephanie97, Alberto Heart, Sara Lautner, Catch Me Salvatore (Did you change your name? xD), Otme0701, Temporaryinsanity91, Cullen4life1996, Ilovecookies1996, Silke112**_, _**Madeofawesome22, Me, Mouse555 **_and _**Emma!**

_To Lisa: Lol, I'm sure Edward is more than willing to practice the kissing/breathing thing with Bella. :p_

_To Lizzy: I'm not giving away anything. :p But wow, that's very romantic, playing Endless Love in the background while reading this. :D_

_To Et1141412: Omg, you actually hit the tiles with your face? xD That sounds very painful. :O_

_To Alberto Heart: Thank you so much for leaving a message to explain things, I'm so sorry to hear that Josefa isn't feeling well. First of all, please tell her not to worry about not reviewing, she truly sounds like an amazing person, and all I want is for her to get better soon! Second; I think it's great that you've taken over her task, reading this to all the children and nurses! It's wonderful to hear that this silly story is brightening up everyone's day! Give my love to everyone at the hospital, especially to Josefa! __Take care!_

_To Silke112: Haha, geeft niets hoor! Ik vind het al leuk dat je de tijd neemt om te reviewen, er kan altijd eens wat mis gaan. ;) Ik hoop dat je nog op tijd op school was. :p_

_Okay guys, some not-so-cheery news: I'm not sure when the next update will be. Someone at work is sick, and I have to make a lot of extra hours, which basically means; no time to write. I'm truly sorry, because I know that a lot of you are waiting for these daily updates. So this is the end of the daily updates, but I do promise that I will always update as soon as I can! Don't worry, you won't have to wait weeks before a new update shows up. Hope you can all understand. Real life is getting in the way, and I have no Prince Edward to save me from my sucky job. :p_

_Alright, moving on to chapter fifteen, have fun!_

* * *

**The Evil Stepsister**

Edward's mouth fell open, and he gave me a bewildered look.

"Oh no… We completely lost track of time." He said in horror as he shot up, getting up from the forest floor and offering me his hand.

I took it and he helped me up.

"Running?" He suggested.

I instinctively shook my head. "Do you want to kill me? Walking is a big enough challenge for me."

"Right." He muttered, seeming a little amused, despite the current situation.

"Besides, it wouldn't make a difference, Regina doesn't care if I'm thirty minutes late or two hours late… Late is late, according to her. I am so dead." I said gloomily.

Edward let out a low growl. "She'll be dead before she even gets a chance to harm you again, I promise you that. Come on, let's go."

He urgently pulled me along, our fingers intertwined, and we followed the trail back to the Cullen house as fast as my clumsy feet allowed. I hadn't even realized that we had gone that deep into the forest, but it seemed to take forever until we were finally back at the mansion.

I stumbled in the direction of my truck, and Edward followed, his hand never letting go of mine. We reached the driver's side, and I was about to place my hand on the door handle, when he restrained me, tugging at my hand and spinning me around so I was facing him.

"You can't leave without a kiss, love. I'll be quick." He murmured, smiling unevenly.

He leaned in, and I was trapped between him and the truck. I was all for his little idea, eagerly throwing my arms around his neck, also leaning in to close the distance. He crushed his lips to mine, kissing me fervently. I closed my eyes in pleasure as his lips feverishly moved with mine, wishing that he would never stop…

To my immense disappointment he did stop, way too soon. I opened my eyes and gave him my most persuasive pout.

He grinned at me, his green eyes soft and filled with adoration. "I'm sorry, princess, you should go now."

"Yes… Wouldn't want to miss the angry rant that Regina has without a doubt prepared for me." I replied sarcastically.

He grimaced, and brought his hand up to my face, cupping my cheek. "If she hurts you again, you must tell me, alright?"

"But there's nothing you can…" I started to argue.

"No, Bella." He cut me off. "Promise me, please."

"Okay…" I said tentatively.

He rested his forehead against mine, intently staring into my eyes. His hand was keeping my head in place so I had no other choice but to look at him.

"Swear you won't hide it from me if she touches you again." He whispered in a soft but earnest tone. "You're mine now, and _no one_ hurts my princess, do you understand?"

An entire army of butterflies was doing some crazy dance moves in my stomach. He sure had a way with words.

"I promise." I choked out. "I love you, Edward."

"As I love you." He answered sincerely, a satisfied smile around his lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow…" I repeated longingly.

He sweetly kissed my forehead, and opened the door of the truck to let me in. I climbed into the red monster, and he gently closed the door once I was seated. I brought the engine to life, reluctantly driving off, my destination a much less magical place. I saw that he watched me until I was out of sight.

I was lost in thought as I drove past the gate, in the general direction of home. What a day this was, I still had some trouble convincing myself that I wasn't dreaming… I had kissed Edward Cullen. Edward Cullen was in love with me. I was in love with him. Where had all this luck come from, all of the sudden?

I turned into my street, and was confronted by the fact that this good day was likely to turn around within now and three minutes. But then I saw that Regina's car wasn't home… That could be a good sign… Or not. I pulled up and cautiously got out of my vehicle.

I unlocked the front door, stepped inside, and glanced around the kitchen. Nobody. I listened for any signs of my evil stepmother and stepsister, but there were none. I frowned, stepping further into the kitchen, where I found a small piece of paper on the kitchen table.

'_Isabella,_

_Mrs. Stanley and I are taking Lauren and Jessica out shopping, to pick out dresses for the spring dance. Don't bother to make dinner for us, but make sure you do finish all the chores on the list, or you will be very sorry!'_

I gaped at the piece of paper. I had heard about the spring dance; flyers and posters were spread all over Forks High, but it was still more than a week away… And yet they had picked this very day to do the shopping, probably scared that all the good dresses were gone by next week.

I giggled uncontrollably as I felt waves of relief running through me. Was it me, or was luck on my side, for once? Maybe Edward's kiss had broken the curse. I laughed out loud at my own idiotic thoughts. Yeah right. Although I couldn't deny, it was nice that my bad luck had taken a day off. Perhaps Edward was like my good luck charm…

Edward… I suddenly remembered that he was probably worried sick about me at this exact moment, and I grabbed the phone to call him with the good news. I dialed his number, and he picked up after one ring.

"Bella?" His alarmed voice questioned.

"Yes, it's me."

"Oh god, are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked frantically.

I snorted, still amused by how overprotective he could be. "Relax Edward, I'm perfectly fine. I'm only calling to let you know that I survived, it seems this is my lucky day! They're gone, dress shopping for the Forks High spring dance next week."

"Oh… Wow, that's good. So you're not in trouble?" He checked again.

"Zero trouble, as long as I make sure that I get my chores done before they get back, everything will be just fine."

"I see… Then I won't keep you from your work any longer." He muttered.

"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow." I replied with a sigh, realizing that tomorrow seemed rather far away, at the moment.

"Yes… Oh and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"This spring dance thing you mentioned… Do you want to go? I mean, do you want me to take you?" He offered, out of the blue.

I stared at the phone in shock. What the… Going to a dance, the thought had never even crossed my mind before. I never went to any of the school dances… For one because I never had time, but also because most of the other students didn't even acknowledge my existence, let alone that someone would ask me to a dance… And then out of nowhere, everything had changed. I had a _boyfriend_. A boyfriend who also happened to be the most beautiful guy in the entire universe, and who was volunteering to take me to this dance.

"It's just an offer, you don't have to, if you don't want to. I only figured that maybe you wanted to go." He blurted out, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"No, no! That's not it, Edward. You sort of took me by surprise, that's all... Can I have some time to think about it? I've never been to a dance before, but I think you can imagine why I would make a poor dancer." I joked.

"That's fine, love. Just let me know. As long as you know that the dancing wouldn't be a problem, it's all in the leading." He said a little smugly.

"Right… Of course you're good at dancing, you're good at everything." I replied mockingly.

"That's what you say." I could practically see how he playfully rolled those pretty green eyes at the other end of the phone.

"That's the truth… Anyway, thanks for the offer, Mr. Cullen, I'll keep it in mind." I told him.

"Alright then. You should go now, I'll see you soon, my Bella." His warm, velvety voice replied.

"Goodnight Edward." I all but whispered.

I hung up, feeling light, fuzzy and happy, all thanks to the amazing Edward Cullen. I stared at the phone for a moment and bit my lip, deliberating. I had to finish my chores, but there was still time to give Angela a quick call, right? I had to share all this good news with someone. My fingers were already dialing her number before I could think it through any further.

"Hello?" She answered the phone.

"Ang! Guess what?" I exclaimed excitedly.

"Bella! I don't know… Lauren got hit by a bus?" Angela mused jokingly.

"No, even better!" I hinted.

"I give up."

"Edward Cullen kissed me!" I nearly sang the words.

Angela's squeal was loud, long and hysterical. Chances were that I would need a hearing aid before I even turned twenty because of her. Regardless, I didn't mind. There was nothing better than a good friend like Angela to share the happiness of one of your rare, lucky days with.

xxx

It turned out that my good luck lasted the entire day. Lauren and Regina weren't back until nine, and I managed to finish all my chores in time. Regina was out of complaints now that everything was done, and Lauren was too busy with her new dress to pay any attention to me.

I went to bed early, seeing as Lauren hadn't thrown any of her homework at me, so when I woke up the next morning I felt fresh and uncharacteristically happy. Of course I had every reason to be happy… Edward Cullen loved me. What more could I wish for?

I was humming and whistling while I showered and got dressed, and when I skipped into the kitchen to grab a bowl of cornflakes, I found Lauren sitting at the kitchen table. She looked up from her own bowl of cornflakes, glowering at me.

"Aren't you cheery today." She remarked in a bitchy tone.

I shrugged. "The weather's nice." I replied lamely.

Her response was a suspicious glare.

I wisely ignored it, throwing some milk and cornflakes into a bowl, before sitting down across from her.

"So… I have a very important task for you today." Lauren spoke in a conversational tone, glancing up at me with a nearly invisible smirk on her face.

"And what would that be?" I asked tiredly, restraining myself from rolling my eyes at her.

Lauren smiled one of her fake smiles before she started her explanation. "Well, as you know, my dress for the spring dance is arranged… All I need now, is a _date_."

I frowned at her. "I have to help you with finding a date?"

"That's right, you're the right person to do the job." She confirmed.

"What do you mean? Who do you want as your date, anyway? Tyler Crowley?" I questioned, naming the first popular guy at Forks High that popped up in my mind. "I'm sure you can ask him yourself."

Lauren slowly shook her head. "My dear, naïve stepsister… Tyler Crowley isn't nearly good enough… I want _Edward Cullen_."

I could barely keep in a loud laugh. _Sure, Edward Cullen will take you to the spring dance… If you put a gun to his head and force him to do it. And by the way, he's already mine. Take that!_

I kept my thoughts to myself and straightened my face. "What does that have to do with me?"

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Don't play stupid. You're his friend, so I want you to introduce me to him! He has to fall in love with me before the spring dance! I'm on a tight schedule here, only eight days left!"

_Good luck with that, it so happens that he's in love with your pathetic stepsister. _

I coughed to hide a snort. "I don't think that that's going to work, Edward isn't a people person."

"Whatever, that will change as soon as he meets _me_. And you are going to make sure that we _will _meet! Wait for me in the parking lot after school, I'm going with you when you go to his place." Lauren rudely invited herself.

I blinked in astonishment. This wasn't good, I had to get this plan out of her head. If she showed up at the Cullen mansion, Edward would probably go berserk and strangle her. Not to mention, if she found out about everything that was going on between me and Edward, there would be hell to pay…

"That's not a good idea, Lauren. I can't just take you with me to work. There's security, and I'm not allowed to sneak random people in." I muttered, knowing that it was no use; nothing could stop her once she had her mind set on something.

"Let's see if I care…" She mused mockingly. "Nope, I don't." She added in a sing-song voice.

I gaped at her. "You can't be serious, it's not going to happen."

"We'll see about that." Lauren said in a threatening tone.

I groaned in annoyance and got up from my chair, gathering my stuff and heading for the front door. I really needed to get away from her, before I would do something stupid. I didn't give her a second look, but that didn't stop her from calling after me.

"The parking lot, after school." She barked, giving me a stern look.

I didn't answer and skipped out of the front door, closing it with a loud smack.

This was bad. I had to find a way to ditch her. Not like I could avoid her for long, we still lived under the same roof… This whole situation was slowly getting out of hand.

xxx

All day long, I had a huge knot in my stomach. There was no way that I could escape Lauren. Of course I could skip gym class and leave early, but no matter what, I would have to come home eventually… I didn't even want to think about what she would do to me if I ignored her orders.

A part of me was hoping that she hadn't been serious, or that she would've forgotten all about it after a busy school day, but deep down inside, I knew better. It seemed that my good luck was used up for this week…

I started to feel really nauseous as Angela and I were walking in the general direction of the parking lot after the last class of the day. I still hadn't come up with a plan, and I was running out of time.

"So, going to see your hot, movie star boyfriend now?" Angela said teasingly.

I grinned, distracted for a split second, but my face dropped when the Lauren-problem came back into my mind.

"Yeah about that, I have a huge problem that I need to fix. Lauren wants to come with me, she needs me to introduce her to Edward, because she want him to fall in love with her and take her to the spring dance." I filled her in, making a funny face.

"She doesn't know that _you_ are already dating him?" Angela asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

"Obviously not, she would kill me! And then bring me back from the dead because she would still need me to introduce her to him!" I exclaimed hysterically.

"Yeah, that sounds like Lauren…" Angela agreed dryly.

We entered the parking area, and right away, I _knew_ that something was missing… Something big, red, and rusty…

"Uh oh…" I muttered.

"Uh oh?" Angela questioned, glancing warily at me.

"My truck… It's gone…" I said, my voice unsteady.

Angela scanned the parking lot and her mouth fell open. "It's gone…" She flatly repeated my words. "Do you think someone stole it?"

"I don't think so, who would steal that old thing? Actually, I'm afraid that it's Lauren… I'm guessing she didn't trust me and took matters into her own hands… She knows that the truck is the ticket in, she must've stolen my spare key after I left for school this morning… She could tell Joe that I sent her." I voiced my theory.

Angela stared at me in shock. "She wouldn't…" She murmured, not sounding truly convinced of her own statement.

"We're talking about Lauren here! So yes, she would!" I enlightened her.

"That's not good." Angela concluded as she caught on.

"Exactly! I have to go after her… I think I need a ride, Ang."

Angela nodded in agreement, snapping out of her daze. "Yes, come on, let's go! We have to stop that evil witch…"

* * *

_Thanks for reading! :) I solemnly swear that I will try to update as soon as I can!_


	16. Rejection

_Hey there, my awesome readers! :)_

_Thank you for your patience! And thank you so much for reviewing; _**Catch Me Salvatore, Lizzy, Me, Kaylie, Jordan, Ilovecookies1996, Xtina316, Golden Perception, Thari, Vampiregirlsrule, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Mrs. M Cullen, Parkerstwilight, Namratha, Heal my bleeding heart, Paramore luver, Marijne, BellaCullenSwan17, Otme0701, Rosaa, AutumnUrie, Et1141412, Lexi, Stephanie97, Bella'Swan'22, Emma, xostaybeautiful, Sara Lautner, Juze, Madeofawesome22, Temporaryinsanity91, Kammi93, Mouse555, Jerseyhalliwell, Lizzie, MissGCullen, Gnomegirl13, Spooky Pumpkin, Stroumfitaoeo**_, _**Silke112, Kris **_and_** Bella ya its my name!**_ You guys rock! :D_

_To Catch Me Salvatore: Yay, Vampire Diaries is awesome! :D_

_To Thari: Lol, thanks for the Prince Edward, I needed that!_

_To Vampiregirlsrule: I'm not giving that away, yet. ;)_

_To Mrs. M Cullen: Lol, sure, you can hurt Lauren! :p She totally deserves it!_

_To Heal my bleeding heart: Yeah, of course, here, have a free, digital Angela-clone. :p_

_To Marijne: No, unfortunately not, Bella's job is a lot more fun than mine. xD_

_To Lexi: No, Jacob won't be in this story. And sure, you can have your own, digital Edward. ;)_

_To Lizzie: Bella didn't call because she's only assuming, she doesn't know if Lauren actually stole her truck, and she doesn't want to cause unnecessary panic. Thanks for the Emmett and Alice! :D_

_To Gnomegirl13: Sure, here's a digital chocolate bar for you! :D Don't worry about being behind, take your time! And you're right, steal not steel. xD Seems I was already half asleep while editing chapter 15. xD_

_To Emma: Excuse me? You hate me? Because I have to work for a living and have to sleep like a normal human being, so I don't have time to write twenty-four hours a day? Try reading some of the other stories on this site, some authors update once every two weeks, monthly, or even less. You can hate me when I personally insult you, you can hate me when I'm being a horrible person, but I think it's hardly fair to hate me because I have a life. _

_Okay, that being said, enjoy chapter sixteen, folks! Thanks for sticking with me! _

* * *

**Rejection**

Angela and I were driving in the direction of the Cullen mansion in Angela's old Ford. I had given her instructions, and I was feeling anxious, eager to get there as fast as possible.

"Do you think Lauren will do something stupid?" Angela asked quietly, observing that I was restlessly shifting in the passenger seat.

I shrugged. "I don't think so, Ang… Edward's a smart guy, he can take care of himself. And he has Joe… And Emmett, Alice and Rosalie, of course. What really worries me is that Edward might blab to Lauren… About us being together, I mean."

Angela gave me a tentative smile. "Yeah well, no matter what, Lauren is bound to find out at some point. You should consider telling her."

I rolled my eyes at her. "That's not an option, and you know it. I don't want to give her a reason to make my life even more complicated."

"I know that, I just think that you shouldn't let her control your life like this." She replied timidly.

I let out a sigh. "I know that you're right… I'm working on it."

"Good, don't let that bitch get you down." Angela said firmly.

I smiled inwardly. Angela often did attempts to make me feel better, and even if it didn't solve my problems, I was very grateful for her unconditional support. We were both silent until I caught a glimpse of the turnoff to Edward's house.

"There it is. The big, white gate." I said, pointing it out to her.

Angela pulled up, giving me a questioning look when I was about to get out. "Do you want me to come with you?"

I shook my head, smiling reassuringly at her. "No, it'll be fine, I don't want you to get involved in this, it's my mess."

"Whatever you say, if something is wrong you can always call me." She offered.

"I know, thanks. You're the best friend anyone could ever wish for." I responded sincerely.

Angela smirked. "Don't go all sentimental on me. See you later, good luck!"

"Thanks, knowing my stepsister, I'll probably need it." I muttered darkly.

I got out of the car, and walked up to Joe, who was giving me a disconcerted glance.

"Miss Swan? What are you doing here?" He asked warily.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "My job… Hey, did you happen to see someone who was driving my truck?"

"Of course, Miss Swan, your sister was driving it. She told me you were ill, and that she was taking your place as the housekeeper for the next couple of days. That's why I was so surprised to see you here." He informed me.

I groaned, not hiding my irritation.

"She was lying." Joe concluded.

"Yes…" I confirmed bleakly. "I'm going in there and check the damage."

"Do you want me to come with you, Miss Swan?" Joe offered.

"That would be great, maybe you should check outside, first… She doesn't have the house key, so unless someone let her in, which I highly doubt, she's still wandering around here, somewhere.

"Probably. Do you think she wants to hurt Mr. Cullen?" He asked, his face serious, all business.

"Not really, she wants to seduce him, not hurt him. I think her little infatuation with Edward will stop her from seriously harming him." I assured him.

He nodded curtly. "Alright, I'll check outside. Just tell Mr. Cullen to call me if anything's wrong."

I smiled at him. "Will do. Thanks, Joe."

"My pleasure, Miss Swan." He said, returning my smile before walking over to the gate.

He opened it and I slipped inside, half-running as I followed the muddy path that led to the white mansion. While I was running, my brain was working overtime. What the hell was Lauren up to? What was her master plan? Did it involve hurting Edward if he didn't cooperate? I surely hoped not, because the chances of Edward cooperating weren't very likely. Then again, she wasn't _that_ stupid, she knew that hurting him wouldn't help her to achieve her goal.

I was panting when I finally reached the house, and gasped when I saw my truck, parked next to Edward's Volvo. I ran up to the front door, searching my pocket for the key in the process. I dashed up the porch steps and unlocked the door, my hands trembling. I sprinted inside, running into the entrance-hall, and I nearly had a heart attack when I bumped right into Emmett.

"Oops, sorry, sis. I didn't see you there." He apologized. "You're in a hurry!"

"Yes, sorry Emmett! Hey, have you seen Edward?" I asked.

Emmett nodded, grinning at me. "Sure, ten minutes ago. He was looking for you, actually. He said that he had heard the engine of your truck, but couldn't find you anywhere."

"Oh no." I mumbled.

"Something wrong?" Emmett asked, giving me a concerned look.

"I'm not sure, yet." I admitted. "I'm going to look for him."

"Okay… Let me know if you need anything. I'm going to help Rose and Alice with moving the furniture in the office, before one of them comes down here and drags me upstairs. They asked me to help them over thirty minutes ago." Emmett said sourly, wincing a little when he mentioned his sister and girlfriend.

I snorted. "Good luck with that, I feel your pain."

"Thanks, sis." He boomed, already bouncing up the stairs.

I searched the entire first floor without any result, until I stepped into the kitchen and ran into Edward. I sighed in relief.

He seemed to be unaware of the whole Lauren-thing and he smiled radiantly in pleasant surprise when he noticed me. "Princess! There you are, I saw your truck, but you were nowhere to be found."

I opened my mouth to tell him about the Lauren-issue, but he didn't give me much of a chance, seeing as he closed the distance between us in an inhumanly fast movement. His lips were against mine before I could even register it, and he kissed me hungrily.

"No, wait… Edward." I protested against his lips.

He pulled back immediately, his forehead creasing slightly, and then his expression turned alarmed. "Oh… You don't want to… I mean did you… change your mind, over night?" He asked, seeming genuinely shocked.

It took me a second before I realized what he meant and I frantically shook my head at him. "No!" I blurted out. "That's not it, are you insane! Of course I want you."

I stood on my tiptoes to press a swift but firm kiss against his waiting lips to prove my point. He merely blinked, confusion evident in his emerald eyes.

"We have a problem! Lauren, she's here!" I told him breathlessly when I pulled back.

His confused expression grew even more pronounced. "Your stepsister? What are you talking about?"

"You heard my truck, but that wasn't me. I'm here because Angela gave me a ride, Lauren stole my truck, and she made up an excuse to get past Joe." I provided him with a short summary.

"So you mean she's… here? I haven't seen her... What is she up to anyway?" Edward questioned.

"Beats me. All I know is that she wanted me to take her here after school, so I could introduce her to you… I refused, and she made her own plans… She wants you to take her to the spring dance." I said, snorting at the last part of my sentence.

One of Edward's perfect eyebrows shot up. "Fat chance… Is it too difficult for her to grasp that I'm with you?"

I nervously bit my lip before answering him. "She doesn't know, I didn't tell her… She can't know, Edward. She'll kill me!"

He made a noise that sounded dangerously close to a growl. "The hell she won't. But we'll talk about that later, we have to find her, in case she is up to no good."

"Yes…" I muttered. "I suppose she's still wandering around outside, seeing as she didn't get a chance to steal the house key. Joe is already searching the area around the house."

Edward pressed his lips into a line. "Yes, she could be outside… Or she could've used the back door… I don't think it's locked."

"Crap…" I cursed. "Come on, let's check the rest of the house, just to make sure."

I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him along. We made our way up the stairs and I opened the first door that we came across on the second floor. To my surprise the room was crowded, and then I recalled that it was the office.

Alice, Rosalie and Emmett looked up from their activities, eyeing us curiously. Emmett was moving the desk, while Alice and Rose were waving their hands at him, giving him instructions.

"Hi guys." Rosalie greeted us.

"Bella, hey!" Alice gushed.

"Ah, the lovebirds are reunited." Emmett mocked, dropping the desk.

I greeted them with a quick smile, ignoring Emmett's teasing. "Hey guys, did any of you happen to see a girl with blonde hair?"

"Besides Rose?" Emmett joked.

I rolled my eyes at him.

"Bella's stepsister, Lauren. She's sneaking around here somewhere." Edward explained to his confused family.

Alice shook her head. "Nope, haven't seen her. Rose and I have been busy all day, pimping this dreary office. But wait, what the hell is she doing here?"

"I don't have the faintest idea, all I know is that she wants Edward." I answered truthfully.

"Of course, our Eddie, always popular with the ladies." Emmett said, grinning widely at his brother.

"Funny, Em." Edward complained tiredly. "But never mind, we're going to search the rest of this floor."

"Let us know if you find her and need help." Alice offered.

"Sure, thanks." Edward replied, tugging at my hand, pulling me out of the room with him.

Before I closed the door behind us I heard how Alice gave Emmett orders to move the desk, for what he claimed was the fourth time today, and I laughed quietly.

"What's so funny?" Edward asked as we crossed the hallway, aiming for the next door.

"Your siblings… They're living proof that having a brother or sister _can_ indeed be fun."

He chuckled. "Yeah… They're okay, I guess, compared to your creepy stepsister."

We checked all the guestrooms, two bathrooms and a supply closet, but we never saw a glimpse of Lauren. Joe didn't call or show up, either, which made me think that he also hadn't seen her.

"Your room?" I asked once we had searched most other rooms.

Edward smiled crookedly at me. "You want to go to my room, Miss Swan?"

I lightly smacked his arm, giving him a playful scowl. "To find Lauren of course, you nutcase."

He pouted and smoldered me with those hypnotic, green eyes, effectively distracting me. "I can think of reasons that are more fun."

"Not now, this is serious, Edward!" I said when my messed up thoughts were back in place again.

"I'm sorry, love, I know. I was just trying to distract you for a bit." He said apologetically, leaning in to kiss the tip of my nose. "Come on, we'll search the last few rooms. If she's not there, we'll contact Joe to ask if he saw anything suspicious."

He took my hand back in his, and led me in the direction of his room. I wasn't sure if I had truly expected her to be there, but I had to admit that I was shocked when we _did_ find her there. Boy, did we find her…

She was on his bed, in the middle, to be precise, in a pose that she probably thought was seductive. She was wearing a dress the size of a handkerchief, and the normally thick layer of make-up on her face was even heavier today . The second we barged in she looked up, and she threw me a vicious glare, before she turned to Edward, fervently batting her eyelashes at him. This was her idea of seducing a guy? Breaking into his house and sneaking into his bedroom? Her mind was messed up, that was a fact.

Edward's hand tightened around mine, but I swiftly freed my hand from his grasp when it occurred to me that Lauren would suspect something if she happened to see it.

"Edward Cullen… We meet a last." Lauren purred at him.

I glanced at her, then at Edward, and his face turned into a mask of anger. Uh oh… I could tell that scary-Edward wasn't far away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He spoke through gritted teeth, glowering at Lauren.

Lauren tried to use her innocent face, failing miserably. "Don't be like that, baby. You know we're meant to be, can't you feel it?" She spoke to him in her high, nasal voice.

She sat up, getting up from the bed and slowly walking in our direction.

"You've got _ten seconds_ to get your ass out of here." Was Edward's icy response.

Lauren looked sincerely astonished. "What? Can't we talk about it first?" She asked, looking up at him from under her lashes. "Bella should leave for a second, so we can have some privacy." She added after shortly glancing at me.

"I'll ask Bella to leave when hell freezes over, now get out, before I do something that I will deeply regret." Edward growled at her.

Oh yes, I could see the headlines now… _Superstar Edward Cullen in jail for committing a murder. _She had to leave before he would seriously lose it. As much as I would love to see how he kicked Lauren's butt, I didn't want him to get into trouble for it.

The expression on her disconcerted face changed, and all of the sudden she seemed to be on the verge of crying. "You're not nice at all… You're mean." Her voice was close to a whisper now.

"That's right, I'm a jerk, the rumors didn't come from nowhere. Now leave!" He spat at her, clenching his jaw.

She flinched at his harsh words, but didn't make a move to leave.

Edward sighed in annoyance, his eyes turning the darkest shade of emerald, and for a moment I feared that he would punch Lauren in the face, or even worse… But to my surprise he made the right decision, once again. He flipped his cell phone out of his pocket, dialed a number, and spoke into the phone almost right away.

"Joe. Yes, that's right, she's here. My room, please remove her from my property… No, no danger… Thank you."

Lauren gazed at him, completely shocked.

Edward feigned a smile at her. "Joe is my security guy, the very same one that threw you out when you came here the first time. Next time I see you, it won't be Joe throwing you out, because I will call the police."

"But we could be so amazing together…" Lauren tried one last time, giving Edward her most pleading look.

Edward quirked an eyebrow at her. "You're delusional."

Nothing was more satisfying than witnessing the moment in which reality had caught up with Lauren Mallory, and I had to stop myself from grinning.

Joe was fast, for seconds later he stepped into the room. He nodded at Edward, and Edward smiled at him. "Get her out of here, Joe."

"Certainly, sir." Joe replied, lightly taking Lauren's arm and leading her out of the room.

"No, wait! Edward, you're not blind… Don't you want me? And Bella! How can you even stand being friends with him! He's not even nice!" She desperately yelled at us, struggling a little as Joe dragged her towards the stairs.

She disappeared out of our sight, and Edward unexpectedly started laughing.

"Did she really expect us to answer that?" He muttered dryly.

His musical laugh was contagious, and I also couldn't keep in my laugh any longer.

"Yes, I think she did… It seems you're a very strong man, Edward. Resisting a beautiful girl in a sexy dress who's rolling around in your bed." I said jokingly.

He gazed down at me, looking thoughtful for a moment before he spoke again. "Hmm, I beg to differ. I don't think I would be able to resist if it was a _truly_ beautiful girl, lying on my bed. In fact… Maybe we should test that theory, right now."

I frowned in surprise, but he merely smirked at me before he scooped me up into his arms in a swift movement.

I squeaked in surprise. "Edward! What are you doing!"

"Like I said, my Bella. Testing your theory, finding out if I really am such a strong man." He answered in a playful tone.

Before I could register what was happening, he gently tossed me onto the bed. I shot him a mock-glare while he kept standing next to the bed for a moment, thoughtfully tapping his chin with his index finger, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he looked me up and down.

"What are you doing?" I pressed.

"I lose. You're too tempting." He answered, crawling on top of me before he had actually finished his sentence.

I let out several giggles as he buried his face against my neck, placing multiple soft kisses there. My hands found their way into his hair, playing with the tousled strands. Those perfect lips moved up, slowly kissing a trail to my jaw, before the moved even further up, his lips meeting mine. I would never get tired of how wonderful it felt when his lips moved with mine, and I enthusiastically kissed him back.

He didn't pull back until my breathing became ragged, but when he did I was still reluctant to let him go. He smiled at me, softly pressing a kiss against my forehead, and I sighed in pure bliss. He rolled off of me and rested on the bed beside me, taking me into his arms.

Cuddling with Edward was one of my favorite activities, along with kissing him, and I snuggled as close to him as I could. We were silent for some time, simply enjoying each other's company, until I figured that maybe I needed to apologize for my stalker-stepsister.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry about Lauren, the last thing I want is to bother you with my freaky stepfamily." I mumbled.

Edward's arms tightened around me, and he kissed the top of my head.

"It's not your fault… I don't care, my beautiful Bella. You're the love of my life and you're all I want, with or without a freaky stepfamily…" He soothingly whispered into my hair.

This guy really was too good to be true… It was all my bad luck that had led me to him, and for the first time in my life, I was thankful for being the world's unluckiest person…

* * *

_Thanks for reading. :) I have to work again tomorrow, so I'm not sure when the next update will be, but like I said before, I will update as soon as I can!_


	17. Sneaky Date

_Hey folks! :D_

_Thank you for leaving all those awesome reviews; _**BellaCullenSwan17, Me, Heal my bleading heart, Rosaa, Spooky Pumpkin, Parkerstwilight, Stephanie97, Paramore luver, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Mouse555, Marijne, Kammi93, Sparkle. love, Et1141412, Lizzy, Sprinter1, MissGCullen, Madeofawesome22, Bella'Swan'22, Golden Perception, Clara Fonteyn, Mrs. M Cullen, Emma, FOREVERBOOKWORM322, Jordan, Temporaryinsanity91, AutumnUrie, Firecracker1990, Jerseyhalliwell, Mia-Lee22, Cullen4life1996, Lisa, HyperAmii, Thari, Uriah cullen,****Catch Me Salvatore, Edwardxoxobella **_and_** Xtina316!**_ You guys rock, big time! :D_

_To BellaCullenSwan17: When I have time I promise I will check out some of your work, but at the moment I'm simply too busy. ;)_

_To Me: Wow, waiting a year for an update, now that is long. xD_

_To Heal my bleeding heart: Thanks for the Edward! :D He made my day a lot more fun!_

_To Rosaa: Lol, oops, sorry for being a bad influence on you. :p_

_To Paramore luver: It so happens that Jasper will be in this chapter! _

_To Sparkle. love: Ah, new penname! :p I'm not giving away when it will be, but I promise that Regina and Lauren will get what they deserve, eventually. _

_To Et1141412: Lol, I'm still very much alive. :p_

_To MissGCullen and HyperAmii: Bella moving in with Edward? I think everyone can guess that it will happen eventually. Patience, my dears. ;)_

_To Madeofawesome22: Your ode to Angela was great, if someone deserves it, it's Angela! :D_

_To Emma: That's alright. ;)_

_To Thari: Better late than never! :D_

_To Catch Me Salvatore: Uhu, I'm a fangirl, too! :D_

_Alright, enough babbling for today, on with the story. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

**Sneaky Date**

It was safe to say that I was the most useless employee that the world had ever seen. Right now, I should be vacuuming, or dusting, or scrubbing the bathroom… But I wasn't doing any of those things. Edward and I still hadn't moved an inch away from his comfortable bed, and I was still enjoying his arms, which were firmly wrapped around me.

We were talking about everything and nothing, and the current subject was Edward's job as an actor.

"So I was thinking… I feel horrible because I've never watched any of your movies. I promise I will change that as soon as I have time." I apologized at some point, when it occurred to me that I hadn't even checked out any of his work.

Edward gazed up at me with his green eyes, frowning skeptically at me. "You don't have to do that, you know. I really don't care about that."

"But I do!" I disagreed. "I mean… You're the most important person in my life now, and acting is an important part of _your_ life… I feel like such a horrible girlfriend."

Edward sighed, rolling his eyes at me. "You hardly have time to breathe, love, let alone watch a bunch of silly movies. I truly don't mind." One of his hands gently started to rub circles on my back in a reassuring way.

"Regardless, I still want to see some of your acting." I responded stubbornly.

"Alright, but you will have to watch alone, I hate watching myself, it's weird." Edward muttered.

"Hmm, you really think that? Personally I don't think I will have any trouble watching you for several hours." I replied, smiling goofily at him.

Edward chuckled. "That's a good thing, right?"

"Like you don't know." I said, making a face.

"You're still beautiful when you're trying to make a funny face…" He murmured, making me blush. "But fine, if you must see my movies, I suppose Alice can help you out. I'm positive she has made sure that there are some copies of most of them here. You can borrow them. Or keep them. Whatever you want."

I nuzzled my face against the crook of his neck. "That would be great, thanks Edward." I whispered against his smooth skin.

"Anytime." He breathed against my hair.

I vaguely heard the sound of the doorbell downstairs, and by the irritated groan that Edward produced I could tell that he had heard it, too.

"Now what?" Edward grumbled.

He shifted beside me, but before he actually managed to get up from the bed, Alice poked her head around the door.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She asked, feigning innocence.

"Wherever did you get that idea? It's not like there's any privacy in this house, anyway." Edward said, giving his sister a mocking glare.

"Sorry, just wanted to let you know that you don't have to bother to get the door, I'll get it, seeing as it's Jasper." Alice informed Edward, a smile forming on her face as she said her boyfriend's name.

Edward threw her a wary look. "Jasper? What's he doing here?"

Alice smiled innocently. "I missed him, so I kind of invited him over for the weekend." She confessed, armed with some puppy eyes. "You don't mind, do you?"

Edward sighed in exasperation, but there was some humor in his voice when he answered his sister. "Even if I did, he's already here! So much for a getaway place, this place is like a freaking hotel!"

Alice smiled radiantly. "Thank you, brother dear!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." He said dismissively.

She shrugged and then turned her attention to me. "Bella! Come on, I want you to meet Jazz!"

I quietly laughed at her enthusiasm. "Sure, I'd love to meet him."

"Great!" Alice exclaimed in her usual, chipper way.

She grabbed my hand, pulling me away from Edward, who was glowering at her. Alice stuck out her tongue at him. "Stop moping, grumpy! You get to play with her all the time, it's my turn now."

"As her boyfriend, it's my _right_ to spend a lot of time with her!" Edward argued.

"Play nicely, kids." I joked, amused that they were talking about me like I was some sort of shiny toy that they didn't want to share.

"We always do." Alice sang, tugging at my hand.

I glanced at Edward, giving him an apologetic smile as Alice dragged me with her. Before she tugged me out of the room I saw how he reluctantly got up in order to follow us. It was a challenge, keeping up with bouncy Alice without tripping over my own two feet, but I succeeded. I even managed to remain upright as she danced down the stairs, never letting go of my arm.

She all but ran to the front door, and when she opened it, a tall guy with light-blonde hair was revealed. His eyes were light blue, and he had a calm, friendly expression on his face. I was finally freed from her grasp, since she let go of me for a second to launch herself at him.

I felt how Edward came to stand beside me, gently placing one of his hands on the small of my back.

"You know, I sort of admire Jasper… It's some achievement on his part; spending so much time with my crazy sister without going insane." Edward said, leaning in to speak directly into my ear.

"That's not nice, Edward." I playfully scolded him, leaning into his side.

Alice ended her hug-attack, giving Jasper some room to breathe. She stepped away from him, nodding in my direction.

"Jasper, meet Bella Swan!" She gushed, waving her hand in my direction.

Jasper gave me a warm smile, and held out his hand to me. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Bella. Alice has told me a lot about you."

"The pleasure's all mine." I replied kindly, placing my hand in his, briefly shaking it. "And ditto, I heard some things about you, too." I added with a grin, recalling the dreamy look that appeared on Alice's face whenever she talked about him.

Jasper chuckled lightly. "Only good things, I hope."

"Definitely." I assured him.

Alice smiled brightly at me, and then addressed her boyfriend.

"Come inside, Jazz! You're going to get a full tour of the house! You'll love it!" She said cheerfully, grabbing his hand and pulling him along, like she'd done with me ten minutes ago.

"Sure." Jasper replied, his face nothing but amused. "By the way, thanks for having me here, Edward." He added, right before Alice dragged him into the living room.

"No problem at all." Edward called after them, grinning at Jasper.

Apparently Jasper was one of those rare people who were on Edward's friends-list.

I laughed lightly, as always amused by Alice's behavior.

"She really does have a lot of energy, huh?" Edward remarked, observing my amusement.

"No doubt about it…"

Edward's arms snaked around my waist, and he turned me around so I was facing him.

"What do you want to do now, princess?" He asked, his eyes boring into mine; he was in full dazzling-mode.

"Clean this place up, of course! Don't forget that I'm also here to do my job." I reminded him.

A sour look crossed his pale face. "That's not fun…"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Work usually isn't, but I need the money."

"You can have the money anyway." Edward said dismissively.

I scowled at him. "That wouldn't be fair, so stop arguing. I'm going to clean the bathrooms now, whether you like it or not."

"But…" He began.

I shook my head. "Nuh uh, no buts."

I pecked him on the lips and determinedly took off to the kitchen to find the cleaning supplies before he could come up with more excuses. I at least wanted to make myself _somewhat_ useful.

I dutifully scrubbed bathrooms for an hour or so, and around five I went home to make dinner for Regina and Lauren. Needless to say, Edward had done a million attempts to talk me into staying at his place to have dinner with him and the rest of the Cullens, instead of going home and cooking for my stepfamily. But as irresistible an offer as that was, I knew that today wasn't the day to get on their nerves.

Both Regina and Lauren were nowhere to be seen when I got home and entered the kitchen, even though their cars were parked in the driveway. Their absence suited me just fine, and I quietly started to prepare the chicken enchiladas that I had planned for tonight's dinner.

I was slicing the chicken when Lauren came dashing down the stairs, noisily stumbling into the kitchen.

"Bella! You're finally home." She snapped when she saw me.

I sighed, annoyed. "Yes, I'm home, on time, and I'm preparing dinner."

"Good for you." She said indifferently.

She sat down at the kitchen table, grumpily watching me as I worked on the enchiladas. After a while I questioningly raised my eyebrows at her, wondering what her problem was. It didn't encourage her to talk, seeing as she remained silent.

I decided to ignore her, moving on to cutting the vegetables. And then she suddenly spoke, completely out of the blue.

"Seriously Bella! How can you _stand_ being around him?" She demanded, her voice shrill.

Aha, so _that_ was what was eating her, Lauren's poor ego was clearly bruised. I suppressed the urge to laugh at her, and tried to keep my face straight as I answered her question.

"He's nice." I said nonchalantly, doing my best not to sound overly smug.

"Nice?!" Lauren exclaimed in disbelief, gaping at me. "He's the biggest jerk I've ever met!"

I shrugged, the nonchalance never wavering. "Is he? I never really noticed, he's perfectly nice to me, most of the time."

She grumbled something unintelligible, and I turned my attention back to the food, hiding my face and laughing quietly.

"So, you're going to find someone else to take you to the spring dance?" I asked once I had composed myself. "Since you don't like Edward Cullen anymore, I mean."

It was almost surreal to see that the tables were turned for once; I was enjoying Lauren's misery, not the other way around.

"I don't know… He's an asshole, but he's still hot as hell... Looks even hotter when he's angry." Lauren mused, sounding very serious.

Again I had trouble keeping in a snort. _He's hot alright, and by the way, he's all mine. We had a nice make-out session on his bed after you were unceremoniously dragged out of the room. _

"Maybe you should settle for Tyler Crowley or Mike Newton." I hinted dryly.

"Whatever, Bella." She muttered, her tone totally defeated.

More sneaky laughing on my part. Enjoying other peoples' pain was certainly not one of my hobbies, but I had to admit that my mood had brightened instantly after hearing Lauren's complaints. It was such a wonderful experience, seeing Lauren Mallory not getting her way this time…

xxx

During dinner, Regina had instructed me to do the laundry and make the beds, and I complied without complaining, my mood still sunny. I quickly finished my chores, and the next thing on my to-do-list was making homework.

I started with trig, but I soon was distracted when I recalled the DVD's that I had borrowed from Alice this afternoon, like Edward had suggested. I was truly curious to see them now, if only to find out why so many people were excited about Edward's acting… Other than that, looking at Edward wasn't exactly a punishment, either.

I put the first DVD in my old DVD player, neglecting the rest of my homework. I mindlessly checked the cover of the DVD. Vampires. Creepy. Not my genre.

After one hour of watching, I could conclude that my first impression was far off the mark. The first two words that normally popped up in mind when thinking about vampires, were 'gross' and 'creepy'. But holy crow, Edward Cullen made one sexy vampire…

During a particular, nerve-racking scene, my cell phone suddenly started to ring, causing my heart to jump. I fished the thing out of my backpack, and saw Edward's name on the screen.

"Hey there." I answered the phone, still breathing a little unevenly.

"Hello, love. What are you doing?" Edward asked, his velvety voice slightly concerned.

"Watching one of your movies?" My words sounded like a question rather than a statement. "The scene that I'm watching at the moment is rather scary."

"Really? Which movie?" He pried.

"Err, the one with the vampires…" I mumbled.

"You don't want to watch that one, it's ridiculous. I still can't believe that someone talked me into playing a wimpy, sparkly vampire." Edward muttered.

I grinned. "Actually… I do want to watch it. You make one hell of a vampire, Mr. Cullen. You can bite me any day."

He let out a frustrated groan. "Not funny."

"I think it is." I teased him some more.

"Silly girl." Edward said. "But anyway, I was calling because I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?"

"Well… Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose wanted to do something fun tonight, so they're all going to Port Angeles to see a movie. I don't mind going with them, but only if my beautiful girlfriend comes along."

"What? Edward, I can't go, I'm sure you can understand why! Regina will _flip_ if she knows that I'm going to the movies with you guys!" I said incredulously, shocked that he had even suggested it.

"That's why you're not telling her, Bella. I'm sure you're allowed to, let's say, go over to Angela's place to work on a school project?" Edward said suggestively.

"You want me to lie and sneak out? This is _me_ we're talking about! I'm incapable of sneaking!" I said, a little panicked.

"Look, you don't have to do it. I just thought… it's Friday night… and you deserve to have some fun... And as pathetic as this sounds, I already miss you." Edward listed, his tone softening when he admitted that he missed me.

_Great, be adorable like that, Edward Cullen…_ I missed him, too, and this wasn't helping.

"I miss you, too. I want to go!" I responded sadly.

"Then tell Regina that you're going to see Angela… Does Angela live in the neighborhood?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, two streets from here." I told him.

"Excellent. If the evil stepmother asks anything, tell her you're walking there, and I'll be waiting at the end of the street to pick you up."

"It sounds like a master plan." I admitted.

"That's what I thought, so will you come with us tonight?" He pressed.

"Yes." I blurted out before I had a chance to regret it.

Knowing me, this could only end in tears… But I wanted to do what normal girls my age did. I wanted to go to the movies with my boyfriend, hang out with some friends, and not worry about my stepmother-from-hell.

"Good! I'll pick you up in thirty minutes." Edward said, his voice triumphant.

"Okay… Thirty minutes… Angela… School project. I think I've got it." Was my chaotic reply.

He laughed lightly at my babbling. "It'll work out fine, love. You can do it, see you soon…"

xxx

I sneaked around the kitchen, aiming for the front door, hoping that if I was sneaky _enough_, I could skip the conversation with Regina. I stepped into the tiny hallway and grabbed my coat, when Regina's voice suddenly echoed through the house, stopping me in my tracks.

"Isabella! Where do you think you're going? You're not going to see that boy again, are you?" She sneered as she rushed into the kitchen on her high heels.

She was wearing some facemask that mainly consisted of cucumbers, and it would've been funny if Regina wasn't so scary.

I took a deep breath, hoping to calm down my racing heart. "No, I made plans with Angela. We still have to finish our Biology project." I said mechanically.

_Please let he buy it, please let her buy it,_ I chanted in my head.

"Oh… Are you done with your chores?" She asked, giving me a suspicious glare.

"Yes." I answered coolly.

"Alright. I expect you to be home at eleven sharp!" She spat, some of the cucumbers dropping to the floor because of the violent movement she made with her head.

"Yes, I promise." I said, deeply relieved that she seemed to believe me.

Regina dismissively rolled her eyes at me, before turning around and heading for the refrigerator; she was back to ignoring me.

I quickly sprinted out of the front door, my heart still beating wildly with excitement. I, Bella Swan, was a true rebel! I had sneaked out, and, most importantly, _without _getting busted.

I walked to the end of my street, keeping up a steady pace but making sure not to run, making an effort to not draw unnecessary attention to myself. I skipped around the corner, and beamed when I spotted Edward's Volvo, already waiting there for me.

To my surprise he got out of the car when he saw me, and he ran around the front to open the passenger door for me. He looked delicious, wearing that green shirt that matched so perfectly with those beautiful, green eyes of his. I closed the remaining distance between us, and was rewarded with a brief but firm hug when I reached him.

"I'm glad you could make it, Miss Swan." He whispered, giving me a soft, sweet kiss on the lips.

"You're nuts, this gentlemanly act of yours is going to be the death of us! What if the neighbors tell Regina?" I complained playfully after he had pulled away, secretly loving it that he was doing this.

"If the neighbors talk, that's too bad. Tonight, I don't want you to worry about Regina, or anything else for that matter. It's all about fun, deal?" He said softly, gazing intently at me, as if he had just asked me a vitally important question.

"Fun… That sounds good." I muttered helplessly, lost in his emerald eyes.

He smiled my favorite uneven smile at me. "Then it's a deal. Let's go, princess."

* * *

_That's it for today! Thank you for reading, and I will update as soon as I have time. :)_


	18. Fun

_Hey there! :D_

_Thank you for leaving all those awesome reviews; _**Mouse555, Ilovecookies1996, Mrs. M Cullen, Xtina316, Golden Perception, Marijne, Heal my bleeding heart, Sparkle. love, Sojournofscrawl, Silke112, Lisa, Uriah Cullen, Me, Kris, Thari, Parkerstwilight, Rosaa, Lizzy, Paremore luver, BellaCullenSwan17, Bella'Swan'22, Cullenbaby94, Jordan, Kammi93, Et1141412, Cullen4life1996, Spooky Pumpkin, Stephanie97, Firecracker1990, xostaybeautiful, Sara Lautner, Jayanth, Otme0701, Beckyisavampire, Temporaryinsanity91, Madeofawesome22, AutumnUrie, Lizzie (And Lizzie's mum. xD), Sprinter1 **_and_** Catch Me Salvatore!**_ *Gives everyone a virtual hug*_

_To Ilovecookies1996: Don't worry, I always try to make time to write. ;) And I usually finish all my stories, as you can see on my profile. xD_

_To Heal my bleeding heart: Lol, sure, I'll trade a Jasper for a bag of skittles. :p Have fun with him! xD_

_To Sparkle. love: I think a lot of girls would like to be Bella for a day… __Preferably longer than one day. :p_

_To Silke112: Haha, geeft niks, soms heb je gewoon geen tijd. ;) En nee, ik ben niet echt van de kostuumdrama's. xD_

_To Thari: You're weird, alright! :O Nah, kidding. :p_

_To Kammi93 (And everyone else who has asked me about this): Yes, the moving-in-with-Edward thing will happen eventually, I promise. Just have some patience, please. :p_

_To Jayanth: Lol, I already have a windows phone, and I actually do type some parts of the story on it. But the thing is, when I'm at work I simply don't have time to write anything, I hardly even have time to eat lunch. ;)_

_To Lizzie: Oh my god, it's so awesome that your mum is actually reading this! Glad she likes it! :D And thanks for the Victoria sponge, it sounds delicious! xD_

_To everyone who wondered if she's going to get caught; read and find out! :D _

_Have fun, folks! :)_

* * *

**Fun**

Edward and I were sitting in his shiny Volvo, on our way to Port Angeles where we would meet up with Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. Edward was in a very good mood, smiling serenely and mindlessly singing along with some song on the radio. I didn't dare to interrupt his private concert, because his voice was heavenly, and I loved to hear him sing.

When the song ended he seemed to notice that I was staring at him in awe, for he glanced sideways, his lips twitching into a smile.

"What?" He asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Nothing… I was just enjoying your little show." I confessed, blushing a deep shade of red.

He arched his eyebrows. "Oh, sorry about that, I'm afraid singing along with the radio is one of my bad habits. You'll get used to it."

"I wouldn't say bad… I don't mind in the slightest, I love your voice." If possible I blushed even deeper.

He smiled crookedly at my revelation. "Really? That's nice to know, I thought it only sounded good in my head."

"Well, I guess that's the case with most people, including me. But you truly _do_ sound amazing, maybe you should become a singer as well." I told him jokingly.

Edward grimaced, but there was a trace of humor in his bright, green eyes. "Don't even go there. I think the world is fed up with actors who delude themselves into thinking that they also are good singers."

I snorted. "You've got a point there… Besides, I'm not even sure if I want to share that wonderful voice of yours with the rest of the world."

"You won't have to, I'm not going to humiliate myself by singing in front of anyone other than you." He said, winking at me.

He reached out his hand, searching mine. I helped him out, placing my hand in his and intertwining our fingers.

My hot, movie star boyfriend wasn't keen on driving slow, and before long we arrived in Port Angeles. When we took the turnoff to the small parking lot next to the cinema, I saw that the rest of the family was already there. They were chatting lightheartedly as they waited for us, all of them standing next to a flashy, yellow Porsche.

"Wow, whose car is that?" I asked as Edward parked the Volvo.

Edward chuckled. "It's Alice's car, I gave it to her as a Christmas present."

I couldn't deny that I was a bit baffled. Sure, I knew that this guy was supposed to be loaded, but sometimes it was easy to forget exactly _how_ loaded he was.

"Are you okay?" He asked, turning off the engine.

"Yeah… I guess so… It's just, giving a Porsche as a Christmas present… that's insane." I stuttered.

Edward sighed. "Please, Bella… Forget about the stupid money, alright? Tonight is about fun."

"Right, fun…" I repeated dryly, my shocked expression gradually disappearing to make place for a smile.

"Exactly." He said, smiling unevenly at me.

He leaned in to lovingly peck me on the lips, and then got out of the car, walking over to my side to let me out. I heard how Emmett let out a loud whistle as Edward opened the door, took my hand, helped me out, and gently closed the door behind me.

"Ignore him." Edward muttered tiredly.

I laughed. "Emmett will be Emmett, I can handle it."

We walked up to the group, Alice standing in the middle, literally jumping up and down. Everyone greeted me enthusiastically, and Alice presented me with one of her choking hugs.

"Bella! I'm so glad you made it!" She chirped.

"Give her a chance to breathe, Alice." Jasper cautioned, making an apologetic you-know-how-she-is face at me.

Alice released me, and I smiled widely at all of them. "Guess everything worked out, Regina bought my excuse."

"You rock, sis!" Emmett boomed. "This is like an episode of Prison Break!"

Rosalie, who was holding his hand, dramatically rolled her eyes. "Leave it to him to exaggerate… But I'm glad you made it, Bella."

"Me too." I agreed with a grin. "If I make sure that I'm home somewhere before eleven, I'm sure it'll all be fine..."

Edward took my hand, reassuringly squeezing it. "Absolutely. Fun, remember?"

xxx

We were standing in the lobby, all six of us checking out the fairly long list of movies in front of us.

"I want to watch this one!" Emmett said excitedly, pointing at one of the titles on the list.

"No way!" Rose objected right away. "Do you think that for once you could enjoy watching something that doesn't have buckets of blood in it?"

"But it's a must see!" Emmett insisted.

"I was thinking about something a little more romantic." Alice mused, pointing at what sounded like a very cheesy romantic movie.

"Gross, you've got to be kidding me. There's no way I'm watching _that_." Emmett growled, his voice filled with disgust.

"How about you, Bella?" Alice asked, looking expectantly at me, probably hoping that I would support her by also voting for the cheesy chick flick.

I shrugged. "I honestly don't mind. Everything's fine with me, although I'm not particularly fond of blood." I answered, giving Emmett an apologetic smile as I expressed my dislike for gory movies.

"Edward?" She asked, turning to her youngest brother.

Edward defensively held up his hands. "I'm Switzerland, I'm staying out of this. I don't care which movie, as long as I'm not in it." He joked.

"You know what guys, why don't we go and see this one? I'm sure everyone can live with that." Jasper suddenly suggested, pointing at some mindless comedy.

"That's a great idea, Jazz." Rose immediately backed him up, obviously relieved that she could skip the blood and flying limps this time.

"Alright." Emmett agreed reluctantly, defeated.

"Then it's settled!" Alice said, clapping her hands.

"I'll get the tickets, after all you guys are my guests." Edward offered.

They all shrugged and nodded appreciatively.

"You don't have to pay for mine." I protested quietly so only Edward could hear it.

He squinted his eyes at me. "For you, as my girlfriend, paying for your own ticket is out of the question."

I let out a groan, frustrated.

He leaned in until I felt his warm breath tickling my neck. "Fun, Bella." He huskily whispered in my ear.

"Fun…" I repeated weakly, completely dazzled by his simple gesture.

He smiled smugly at me, his hand taking my wrist and pulling gently. "Great, let's go buy the tickets."

"We're going to arrange some popcorn!" Emmett announced cheerfully, pulling Rose with him.

"Same here, I'm going to get me some snacks." Jasper told us, following Emmett and Rose to the concession stand.

"See you in five." Alice called at us, energetically dancing after her boyfriend.

I systematically scanned the lobby while we were standing in the line for the tickets. I didn't want to act like a paranoid person, but it was a fact that I had to be careful at all times. There was always a small chance that the wicked stepfamily showed up somewhere. For a moment I watched Edward's siblings, who were standing near the concession stand, bickering over which snacks to buy. I laughed quietly at their banter, before glancing around the rest of the large hall.

The place was crowded, but I didn't see any familiar faces, not at first... Until I suddenly recognized the brown, bushy hair that belonged to Jessica Stanley. I gasped, tightly grabbing Edward's arm and unsubtly hiding behind him.

"Sweetheart? What are you doing?" He asked, gazing down at me.

"Jessica Stanley…" I murmured.

"Who? What do you mean?"

"The girl with the curly, brown hair over there. She's Lauren's best friend, I don't want her to see me!" I explained shakily, pointing in Jessica's direction.

"God, can't we have a break for once." He all but growled.

"Hmm, at least I don't think Lauren is with her…" I concluded after a closer examination.

The only familiar person in her vicinity was Mike Newton, who was currently walking up to her with a bucket of popcorn in his hands.

"I think she's with the blonde guy." Edward said, voicing my thoughts.

"Yes, that's Mike Newton, also goes to Forks High." I replied. "They can't see us together!"

Edward pulled me into his side and lightly rubbed my arm. "Let's keep an eye on them and pray that they didn't pick the same movie."

It was our turn, and Edward stepped up to the counter. The girl behind it blinked in wonder as she appraised Edward with wide eyes, and I felt an unreasonable stab of jealousy. I turned my head, deliberately looking away from the strictly professional exchange between her and Edward, my eyes landing on Jessica and Mike again.

"Come on, love." Edward pulled me out of my daze.

"Yes…"

"Let's go this way, the least we can do is avoid your classmates as much as possible." He said, taking my hand and leading me around the back of the concession stand, to the spot where the rest of the Cullen family was waiting for us.

"Ah! There you guys are!" Alice gushed. "We've bought enough snacks to feed everyone in the entire theatre!"

"Why am I not surprised." Edward responded teasingly.

"The entire theatre, you're joking right? I predict that Emmett will finish at least ninety percent of this food before the movie even starts." Rose commented dryly.

"That's not nice!" Emmett complained, waving his extra large bucket of popcorn at Rose in a reprimanding way.

"Nice or not, she's right, bro. You never share. I recall a bag of Skittles that mysteriously disappeared into your mouth, in less than two minutes, I might add." Jasper said, accusingly glancing at Emmett.

"I can't help it that I've got a healthy appetite!" Emmett defended himself.

"You call that _healthy_?" Edward asked skeptically, grinning at his brother.

"Let's not discuss Emmett's disturbing eating habits… Come on, we don't want to miss the beginning!" Alice quickly ended the discussion.

All of us obediently followed Alice's lead, and when we stepped into the theatre I automatically checked the room for any signs of Jessica. I wanted to hit something when I observed that, indeed, Jessica was sitting in one of the front rows. Mike was sitting beside her, and they were sharing quite an intimate moment.

"They're here." I hissed at Edward, my grip on his hand tightening.

"Wonderful." Edward muttered sarcastically. "Come, we'll just sit in the back row, I'm sure they won't notice. From the looks of it they're too preoccupied with each other anyway."

I followed Edward as he turned into one of the rows in the back. Emmett, who was walking right behind me, followed us without complaining. He had a goofy grin on his face, and was uninterruptedly scooping large amounts of popcorn into his mouth. Rose, Alice and Jasper also followed our example without protesting, and I sighed in relief.

Edward sat down, and I was about to inconspicuously sit down in the chair next to him, when he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap.

"Edward!" I shrieked in surprise.

"Yes, love?" He replied, his voice dripping with fake innocence.

"I was going for the whole inconspicuous-act! You're not helping."

"I'm sorry about that…" He said halfheartedly, nuzzling his face against my hair. "Wait, no I'm not." He added, kissing the side of my neck.

"Gross! Do I have to watch this lovey dovey stuff all night?" Emmett teased us.

"No. It's a movie theatre, the normal thing to do would be watching the screen." Edward retorted.

I saw how Emmett rolled his eyes at his brother, right before the room slowly turned dark.

Edward's arms remained draped around my waist, which made me think that he had no intentions of letting me go back to my own seat. I was more than fine with that, and I made myself comfortable, snuggling closer to him and resting my head against his chest. His hands found mine, and he laced his fingers through mine, resting our intertwined hands in my lap.

My eyes were watching the screen, but they weren't really seeing anything. God, why did he have to be so distracting? His thumbs were softly rubbing circles on the back of my hands, brushing over my knuckles every once in a while. Not to mention those lips; he clearly wasn't watching the movie either, seeing as he was too busy placing kisses all over my face. Sometimes he lowered his head to gently kiss my neck or jaw, and every time my heart would flutter with excitement.

"Are you paying attention, love?" He whispered halfway through the movie.

"You're pure evil." I playfully mumbled under my breath. "Pretty proud of yourself, are you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." He said smugly. "Want me to stop?"

I gave him an unimpressive glare. "You know I don't, you merely want me to admit it out loud."

"Am I that transparent?"

"Yes, Mr. Cullen."

I swiftly looked around, but the people surrounding us, including Emmett, were completely absorbed in the movie. No one seemed to be bothered by our whispered conversation, which made it very tempting to just keep talking, but I managed to keep my mouth shut for the remainder of the show.

When the ending credits popped up on the screen, I had absolutely no idea what we'd been watching. Emmett started to get up, and next to him Rose, Alice and Jasper were doing the same. I gently tugged at Edward's hands to free myself, but he didn't let go.

"I think it would be best to wait a few minutes, love. You don't want to run into your classmates." Edward hinted, pointing at Jessica and Mike who were also getting up from their chairs.

"Oh, right." I agreed. I'd forgotten all about them; at least Edward had accomplished that much.

"Aren't you guys coming?" Alice called from behind Emmett.

"We want to watch the ending credits." Edward replied lamely. "We'll meet you guys outside."

"Yeah right, lovebirds. Have fun watching the ending credits." Emmett boomed, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows while he said 'watching the ending credits'.

Alice shrugged indifferently. "Alright, meet you outside… Men, I need to use the bathroom."

"Me too." I heard Rose say, before they disappeared out of our hearing range.

Edward smiled at me, repositioning me in his lap so that I was facing away from the aisle. I realized that it was another precaution to make sure that Jessica wouldn't notice me, and I gave him a grateful smile in return. He didn't say anything, but brushed his flawless lips gently against mine. I eagerly kissed him back, and our lips moved in synch until he tentatively pulled back after a while, leaving me completely breathless.

"I think we're good to go now." Edward said, his tone amused as he glanced around the empty theatre.

"Or we could stay here forever. I'm quite comfortable." I mused playfully.

He laughed an enchanting, melodic laugh. "I bet you are, princess. Come on, let's get you home before you turn back into a pumpkin and freak out your witchy stepmother…"

xxx

I was a little tired on the ride back, and I was lazily leaning against Edward's shoulder as I gazed out of the window.

"Did you have a good time?" Edward asked as we drove along the dark, deserted road that led back to Forks, the headlights of Alice's Porsche right behind us.

"Yes, I had a great time." I answered sincerely.

"How could you not, that movie was brilliant. Did you enjoy it?" Edward questioned, looking down at me and giving me a mischievous grin.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I did, how about you?" I shot back at him.

"Oh yes, it was highly interesting." He replied with a straight face.

"What was it about then?" I challenged him, mockingly narrowing my eyes at him.

Edward's poker face stayed intact. "About a guy who has an unbreakable bond with his dog, and who goes on a crazy trip around the world in order to find it when it's kidnapped by a bunch of criminals who are desperately trying to rid the world of Golden Retrievers."

I blinked in surprise and frowned at him. "Are you for real?"

His serious face fell and he snorted loudly. "No, I entirely made that up. I don't have a clue what it was about."

We both laughed quietly.

This had been one of the nicest nights of my life, there was no doubt about that, and every single day I thanked the heavens for Edward's existence.

Edward dropped me off at the same spot where he had picked me up earlier this evening, but didn't let me go before I had promised to send him a text as soon as I was safely inside without any Regina-trouble.

I swiftly made my way to my house, touching the handle of the front door at exactly 10.58. Perfect. I quietly entered the kitchen, and saw that Regina was still up. She was hanging on the couch in the living room, watching a rerun of some soap on TV. She ignored me like she usually did, which was a good sign. I did the same, ignoring her, and headed for the stairs.

The second I placed one foot on the stairs, Regina's voice called my name out of the blue, and I flinched, letting out a shaky breath that I didn't even know I'd been holding.

"Isabella?"

"Yes…" I unwillingly called back, fearing what was about to come.

"I need you to pick up my clothes from the dry cleaners tomorrow." She commanded in a bitchy tone.

"Oh… Sure, of course." I said, using a more friendly tone than I normally would, due to the huge relief that I felt at the moment.

"That's all." She barked, dismissing me.

I mentally wiped my forehead, and quickly sprinted up the stairs, to the attic. Once I was safely inside my room I grabbed my cell phone to send Edward a message, smiling widely while doing so.

'_All is well, I succeeded in misleading the wicked witch. Thank you for tonight, I'm glad you convinced me to sneak out. I love you, x Bella.'_

* * *

_That's it for today! _

_So no, she didn't get caught, and I'll tell you why; I thought these people deserved a small break from all the drama, and one normal night of fun. But not to worry, all you drama-lovers out there! After this, there's going to be one more filler-chapter (as far as I can see now), and then it will be nothing but drama/action/moving/more drama/more action. :p_

_I'll update as soon as possible! :)_


	19. Spring Dance Dates

_Hey guys! :D_

_Thank you so much for reviewing; _**Catch Me Salvatore, Rosaa, Mrs. M Cullen, K-stewfan223, Sparkle. love, Marijne, Jordan, Thari, MissGCullen, Bella'Swan'22, CaandyBaybe, Silke112, Golden Perception, Cullen4life1996, Cullenbaby94, Lisa, Madeofawesome22, Beckyisavampire, Otme0701, Misseltje, Sprinter1, AutumnDannie, Parkerstwilight, LoveIsMyWeapon13, Lizzy, Uriah cullen, movies2560, Mrs. shannon edward cullen, ****Cnelson **_and_** x edward cullen is my heroin x!**_ I absolutely love all those wonderful reviews! Thanks for all the compliments, they make me smile! :D_

_To Sparkle. love: Yay, thanks for the virtual hug, I love hugs! :p_

_To Jordan: Edward has only been in forks for two short weeks, so the end of his break is sort of a problem for later. :p But it will all be nicely wrapped up at the end of the story, that much I can promise you. ;)_

_To Silke112: Nee, Rosalie heeft geen hekel aan Bella hoor, ze begroet haar namelijk ook gewoon vriendelijk enzovoorts. :p_

_To Golden Perception: How long will this story be? That is a very good question. :p You see, the entire story is already in my head, I know exactly what has to happen, and when it well happen… The thing is, I don't know how the chapters turn out until I actually write them, so I can't give an exact number of chapters at this point. The only thing I know right now, is that I'm probably going to need at least twenty-five chapters to nicely wrap this up. :p_

_To Madeofawesome22: Lol, yes! Jessica would have freaked out, that's for sure. :p_

_To Otme0701: I'm not giving that away, yet. Just read and find out. ;)_

_To Misseltje: Hey! Leuk dat je ook weer meeleest! :D_

_To Parkerstwilight: Wow, 14 hour shift? And I thought my job sucked, but that's even worse. xD I feel your pain!_

* * *

**Spring Dance Dates**

Days passed by, slowly and boringly so. The rare sunny weather came to an end, making place for the usual rain that was one of the many downers about living in Forks.

My days were long and exhausting, seeing as my daily schedule was always full. I was constantly trying to find a balance between school, homework, cleaning at home, doing my job at the Cullen house to earn some college money, and making time for my boyfriend. It was hectic and stressful, but I took comfort in the fact that it would only be for a few more months. Once I finished high school I would move out, go to college, and leave my evil stepfamily behind. They would be out of my life for good; nothing more than a very nasty memory.

Things got more quiet at the Cullen mansion after the weekend, because Jasper and Rosalie both left. Rose was flying to Europe where she had an important photo shoot this week, and Jasper had to go back to New York, where he went to college. Emmett had volunteered to stay a little longer, since his girlfriend wasn't going to be home for the rest of the week anyway. Of course Alice had fully approved of Emmett's decision, happy that she wouldn't lose her useful furniture-mover yet.

Time went by in a blur, and I barely even noticed it; all my days were pretty much the same. It wasn't until Thursday afternoon, during lunch, that Angela brought some good news that reminded me of a particular event in the near future…

"Bella! Bella!"

I looked up from my sandwich, to see that Angela was literally _running_ across the crowded cafeteria, calling my name in an almost hysterical way. She was wildly waving her arms, moving them as if she was trying to stop traffic.

"Ang? Are you alright?" I asked, concerned about my friends unusual behavior.

She was panting as she fell down in the chair next to me.

"I'm fine! I'm wonderful! I'm on top of the world!" She exclaimed breathlessly, grinning at me like a lunatic.

I frowned, completely clueless. "Did I miss something?"

"Ben asked me if I wanted to go to the spring dance with him! Can you believe it!" Angela blurted out.

"No way! That's so great! And you thought he wasn't going to ask you anymore, he definitely proved you wrong!" I squealed.

"Yes! I mean, I know that it's short notice, but he confessed that he didn't have the guts to ask me earlier! How cute is that? Not like I care, better late than never! And I've still got two days to find a dress… Then again, even if I would have to go to the dance wearing a garbage bag, I don't mind!" She rambled happily.

I smiled widely at her, sincerely happy that Ben had finally made his move. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Angela.

"This is amazing, you guys are going to make such a cute couple!" I said seriously.

"I hope so." Angela replied, sounding somewhat less sure now. "What if it doesn't work out? What if he doesn't like me once he gets to know me better?"

"That won't happen, if he doesn't like you he's an idiot." I stated firmly. "I mean it, you're one of the kindest, most considerate persons in the world, what's not to like?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "You're only saying that because you're my friend."

"Yes, but also because it is _true_. I'm sure he's already head over heels for you! Why else would he be nervous to ask you out?"

She smirked at me. "Maybe you're right… I shouldn't worry. At least he asked me, that's a start. We'll see how the rest works out."

"Exactly! That's the spirit!" I told her, mockingly waving imaginary pompoms over my head. "Your date is going to be the best date ever."

"Yes, I guess so… Speaking of dates, are you going with Edward?" She asked out of the blue.

She took me by surprise, and I bit my lip as I contemplated that for a minute. Edward and I hadn't discussed it anymore, not after that one time on the phone… I hadn't brought it up again, and he also hadn't mentioned it, probably because he didn't want to be pushy. Could I go to the dance with Edward? Surely Lauren would be there, the latest news was that Tyler Crowley was taking her after all…

"I don't think so… Neither of us brought it up again. Besides, I can't go, Lauren will see us together." I finally answered.

"Right." Angela muttered, grimacing. "Well, normally my advice to you would be that you should just ignore Lauren, but I'm afraid things are even more complicated this time, because Regina will be there as well. Did you know that?" She asked bitterly.

"What? Why?" I asked warily as I took in this disturbing news.

"Katie, who's on the dance committee, told me that your stepmother and Mrs. Stanley both volunteered to be chaperones." Angela informed me, giving me a sympathetic smile.

I groaned. "Figures… Pathetic, nosy gossip queens. God forbid that they miss something... I'm sure that's the only reason why they offered to help in the first place."

"Yeah, probably… Men this sucks. It would've been nice if you could go to a school dance for once, especially now that you've got a very hot boyfriend who wants to take you…"

"Tell me about it, it's frustrating. Not that I'm a big fan of dances, but it would be great to do something normal, just this once…" I muttered.

Angela nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's what you need, Bella. Doing things that normal people your age do."

"Well, never mind… With Regina there, it's not even an option. She will go ballistic, I can't go." Was my gloomy conclusion.

Angela seemed deep in thought for a moment, staring at the bottle of lemonade in her hands, but when she looked up again, she had a stern expression on her face.

"You know what, Bella? I think you should still consider going… Your entire life you have missed out on _everything_… Maybe it's time that you start fighting them… Do what _you_ want to do, instead of what _they_ want you to do." She said determinedly.

I could almost hear the national anthem playing in the background.

I sighed. "I know you mean well, Ang… It's just not that simple."

Angela smiled wistfully. "I'm aware of that, but regardless, I still think that you really should give it some thought."

I forced a smile onto my face and lightly patted the back of her hand. "Thanks, Ang. I will, I promise…"

xxx

I didn't break my promise. The rest of the day I was constantly thinking of ways in which it could work out, only to come to the conclusion that there were none. For a split second I considered bringing it up when I was at Edward's place after school, to ask his opinion, but I quickly decided against that. It didn't matter what he thought about all this, it would only end in trouble if Regina saw me at the dance… With Edward Cullen, nonetheless. I wouldn't survive, not a chance.

And so I pushed any thoughts regarding the spring dance aside, blocking them from my brain. Although I had to admit that I didn't succeed completely, seeing as it was impossible to keep my mind blank as I was lying in my bed that night, unable to fall asleep. A small, nagging voice in my head was repeatedly shouting at me to be reckless and just go, consequences be damned…

After what seemed forever I finally fell asleep, but my unconscious mind still showed me colorful images of Edward and I, dressed up and gracefully moving around a dance floor…

My head felt heavy when I woke up the next morning, due to my obvious lack of sleep. Friday, great. With the dance only being one day away, everyone would be talking about nothing else, that was a given…

I was right, of course. It was all Lauren talked about during breakfast, and when I made my escape to Forks High, things were even worse. The entire school was buzzing with excited, dance-related conversations. Girls were worrying about their hairdos, their dates, and numerous other things. All day long I bravely avoided it, and it was an immense relief when the bell rang after gym class, ending today's torture.

I followed my usual routine and went to the Cullen house, thinking I would be saved from spring-dance-chitchat there, when the last person I would've expected to bring it up confronted me with it…

I had offered Alice to help her with decorating the last few rooms, and so we were currently working on the last guest room, painting the walls a nice, fresh shade of blue. It was a beautiful room with a nice view on the forest, and rather big for a guestroom; it was nearly the same size as Edward's room.

"So Bella…" Alice suddenly began, breaking my concentration.

I stopped painting and turned my head to glance at her. "Yes?"

"I heard there's a dance at Forks High tomorrow… Did you plan on going?" She asked, a mock nonchalant tone.

I snorted at her bluntness. "Nice going, Miss Subtle. How do you even know about the dance?"

Alice also quitted her painting activities, and she made a face at me. "Edward might have mentioned it."

"Aha, and he asked you to find out if I wanted to go, am I right?" I guessed, seeing right through her.

"Yes, alright!" Alice grumbled, throwing her hands up in defeat. "This whole subtlety-thing is not for me." She added, mostly talking to herself.

I couldn't help but laugh, and slowly shook my head. "Why does he need _you _to ask me? I don't bite, he knows that."

"Because he doesn't want to push you, but he thinks that you need to have some normal teenage-experiences, as he calls it." She explained.

"And I agree with him." I responded without thinking. "I talked about it with Angela yesterday, and she also said something along those lines."

A huge smile broke across Alice's face. "Really? So you're going? That was easy!"

"No, Alice!" I exclaimed, bursting her bubble. "That's not what I'm saying. I want to go, but I can't. It's impossible! Regina will be there, Lauren will be there… It's a hopeless situation."

"So what? Edward won't give them a chance to try anything sinister, you know him. And besides, it's a public place for crying out loud! Regina wouldn't be as dumb as to cause a scene there." Alice argued.

"Exactly, Alice. She won't hurt me at the dance… But at the end of the day, I will still have to go home…"

Alice's face fell sooner than you could say 'dance'. "Oh god, that's right… And you're absolutely positive that she will harm you afterwards?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. It happened before…" I was all but whispering now.

Alice sighed, and unexpectedly dropped her painting brush to pull me in for a hug. My heart warmed at the kind gesture, and I realized that Alice was in fact a very good friend.

"Your life sucks, this is all so unfair." She said, sounding as depressed as I felt.

She released me, and I smiled at her, letting her know that I appreciated her support.

"It's fine, it won't be this way forever." I replied, trying to sound a bit more optimistic.

"Still, I think this has already lasted long enough." Alice said absentmindedly, seeming lost in her own thoughts all of the sudden.

She just gazed at me for several seconds, a distant look in her eyes. Her thoughts seemed to be miles away, almost as if she was deliberating about something.

"Are you alright?" I asked hesitantly.

She snapped out of her daze, giving me a smile and quickly transforming back into her chipper self. "Yes… I'm good… Come on, Picasso, let's paint the rest of this room!"

xxx

I was in a sulky mood as I was moving around the small kitchen at home, working on the sauce for the pasta. Regina and Lauren were both gone, but they hadn't left a note, so I assumed that they would be home for dinner.

I felt slightly down because of all the spring-dance-stuff, but I tried to let it go. I'd only briefly talked to Edward this afternoon, but I hadn't mentioned the dance, or my conversation with his sister, for that matter. Chatting about what could've been wouldn't cheer me up, so I had decided to let it rest.

I was dutifully stirring the deep-red sauce, dejectedly gazing at it while doing so, until the sound of the doorbell woke me up from my daydreaming. I blinked in surprise, dropping the spoon.

"Coming." I yelled as I turned off the stove. I wasn't taking any risks, with my bad luck the house would burn down in the five seconds that I was away to answer the door.

I sprinted to the front door, opening it and putting on a friendly no-thanks-we-don't -want-to-buy-anything smile in the process. It turned out that I didn't need that carefully composed smile, for Edward was the one standing in front of me.

"Edward! What are you doing here?" I asked, horrified.

"Such a warm welcome." Edward mocked, rolling his blazing, green eyes at me.

"That's not what I mean, and you know it!" I replied anxiously.

Edward sighed. "Calm down, I checked for their cars before I stopped to visit. I only saw that red monster of yours, so I figured the evil stepfamily was out."

"Right." I muttered. "You'd better come inside, before the neighbors notice you."

I grabbed the collar of his shirt and swiftly dragged him inside, firmly closing the door behind him.

"Wow, I'm happy to see you too, sweetheart." He joked.

"I'm always happy to see you, Edward. But this is risky, I don't have to tell you that! They could be home any minute!" I said as panic was gradually invading my system.

"Yes, I know that. I just needed to talk to you, I promise it won't take long." He said.

"Alright…" I gave in.

I led him into the kitchen, and I leaned against the sink, crossing my arms and eyeing him expectantly. He came to a stop right in front of me, not leaving much distance between us.

"So, what's so important that it can't be said over the phone?" I pressed.

Edward smiled a tight smile. "I'm not saying it couldn't be said over the phone, but it's easier this way… You know, when I can throw in some…" He stopped in the middle of his sentence, suddenly looking a bit ashamed.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Throw in some of your charm? Is that what you were thinking?" I finished his sentence in a mocking tone.

He grinned guiltily, like a kid who had been caught while stealing from the cookie jar.

"You are unbelievable, Edward Cullen. It's wrong to dazzle people like that." I feigned a scowl at him.

"Dazzle people?" He questioned, sounding amused by my statement.

I groaned and childishly stuck out my tongue at him. "Whatever, just say what you want to say."

"Okay… I talked to Alice this afternoon, and I think you should go to the dance with me." He said, using his melting-honey-voice for the occasion.

"That's what this is about?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes. Be honest, love… The way these people are treating you, that's not normal. You're always missing out on all the fun because of them. They've ruined the biggest part of your childhood!" His tone was mild, but I could sense that anger was hiding beneath the surface as he talked about my stepfamily.

He did a step towards me, and tentatively wrapped his arms around my waist. He didn't disappoint; he unleashed his full charm on me, his emerald eyes smoldering me.

"I- I can't Edward. Really, it's just a few more months… After that I'm free to do whatever I want to do." I stumbled a little over my words.

"You've suffered enough, Bella. Just let me take you to this dance, I'm sure your friend Angela will be thrilled to see you there." He said, his voice persuasive.

I let out a nervous, high laugh. "Probably… But it's not worth facing Regina's punishment."

He glanced up at me from under his lashes, lowering his face so it was level with mine. "Do you remember the promise I made you, that day we spent in the meadow?"

"What promise?" I asked after unsuccessfully racking my brain. I was too dazzled by his close proximity to form any coherent thoughts.

"I promised that I wouldn't allow _anyone_ to _ever_ hurt you again." He murmured earnestly.

His face was mere inches away from mine, and his warm breath was washing over my face, stunning me further. Combined with the divine scent he radiated, the effect was simply hypnotizing.

"I- I know." I stuttered. "But still, this is Regina we're talking about."

"I said that_ no one _will ever hurt you again, sweetheart. That includes Regina." He whispered.

It became more and more difficult for me to focus on our conversation, and my eyes wandered to his soft, inviting lips.

"You won't have to be afraid of Regina harming you. All you have to do is trust me." He said in that same, hypnotic way.

I let out a shaky breath. "Trust you…" I repeated dumbly.

He leaned in even more, his lips skimming against mine. "That's right, love. Trust me."

I shivered at the tingling sensation he created.

"Will you go to the dance with me?" He purred against my lips.

I inhaled sharply before answering him, my voice nearly inaudible as I mumbled my reply against his lips. "Yes... Edward."

I silently cursed myself. That sneaky bastard! This was why he needed to talk to me in person. He knew very well that it would be impossible for me to resist him if he pleaded with me like that.

"You're not playing fair." I halfheartedly protested, his lips still connected with mine.

"You're right, I'm not." He agreed easily.

And then his lips started to move against mine, in the most delicious way ever. I closed my eyes and threw my arms around his neck, securing him to me as my lips started to respond, moving with his. Some part of my brain was yelling at me that it was stupid to be this reckless, kissing him, right here in the kitchen when Regina could be home at any second, but I needed him like a drug. My fingers knotted in his hair as he softly sucked on my bottom lip, my heart speeding up with every new sensation that he made me feel.

"I love you." He whispered intently, before deepening the kiss.

I moaned something incoherent against his lips, unable to speak, completely lost in him. His hands traveled up and down my spine, lazily tracing patterns. All I could feel was him, all I could think about was him. And then the magic ended…

The kitchen door swung open with a loud crash, and in barged Regina. I froze against Edward's body, and he slowly pulled back, his face a mask of anger and irritation as he turned to face Regina.

"Oh my god! Isabella! What the hell do you think you're doing!" She screamed, outraged.

Her expression was a mix of disgust, anger and horror as she glared at us. Her face was slowly turning that weird shade of purple… This was it, the end of everything…

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_Thanks for reading! :) New update as soon as possible. _


	20. The Wicked Witch Strikes Again

_Hey everyone! :D_

_Yay, I'm still alive! xD I was afraid that an angry mob would hunt me down after that cliffhanger, sorry about that, peeps. :p_

_Anyway, thank you very much for leaving all those wonderful reviews; _**Xtina316, Golden Perception, Kris, Sparkle. love, Beckyisavampire, Mrs. M Cullen, Parkerstwilight, Vampiregirlsrule, Otme0701, BellaCullenSwan17, Lizzie, Sojournofscrawl, Mouse555, Rosaa, Silke112, Thari, MissGCullen, 1mooncalled, Jrow1107, Movies2560, Cullenbaby94, Catch Me Salvatore, Misseltje, Paramore luver, 1PhantomPhreak8, Madeofawesome22, Et1141412, Lizzy, Ilovecookies1996, Sara Lautner, Spooky Pumpkin, AutumnDannie, Jordan, Sprinter1, Temporaryinsanity91,**** K-stewfan223 **_and _**TiGerrr!**

_I can't tell you guys enough how awesome you all are! :D_

_To Lizzie: Thanks for the hug! :D *Gives a digital hug in return*_

_To Sojournofscrawl: Yep, I mentioned drama. :p You'll see in today's chapter, and the chapters that follow. ;)_

_To Mouse555: Lol, sure! Here's your own, digital Jasper to take you to the cinema. :p_

_To Rosaa: Wow, someone actually likes Regina! :p But you're totally right! She's a nasty piece of work, of course, but what would the story be without her. :p_

_To Silke112: Haha. xD Wat een timing, al denk ik wel dat Regina zeker zo griezelig is als een giftige theepot. :p_

_To Movies2560: Yes! What's a story without a healthy dose of evil-stepmother-drama. :p_

_To Ilovecookies1996: Thanks for the chocolate chip cookies! :D Yum!_

_Okay, moving on to chapter twenty, I've already made you guys wait for way too long. xD Have fun! :D_

* * *

**The Wicked Witch Strikes Again**

I was completely paralyzed, my brain had shut down entirely. I was rigidly clinging to Edward as Regina glowered at us, the look of revulsion never leaving her face.

When she spoke, finally breaking the killing silence, her voice was calm but frosty.

"Didn't you tell me that the boy was your _friend_? Then tell me why he's all over you!" She demanded.

"I- I… We…" My breaking voice only managed to utter some insignificant words as I nervously fumbled with Edward's shirt.

"Oh save it! I'm not an idiot, I can see what's going on, and it's going to stop _right now_! You're quitting that job of yours, and you're not seeing him again as long as you're under my roof!" Regina barked.

"No! I need that job!" I exclaimed in horror. "I need _him_."

"Excuse me, but Bella is eighteen years old, I don't think that that's for you to decide." Edward backed me up, his tone strained and vicious as he addressed Regina for the first time.

She merely gave him a disdainful scowl. "You stay out of this, boy! This is something between me and Isabella."

"Perhaps…" Edward started, and I could see that he was struggling to keep himself from doing very violent things to my stepmother. "But if you hurt one hair on Bella's head, this will be between you and me." He threatened.

Regina skeptically raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you going to do? There's nothing you _can_ do, not if you want your little girlfriend here to be safe."

"Are you threatening her?" Edward hissed at her, gently prying my fingers loose from his shirt and releasing himself from my chokehold, taking a step towards Regina.

I instinctively grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, afraid of the outcome if Edward lost his temper and attacked Regina. I couldn't care less about Regina getting hurt, but Edward would be in big trouble as well if he did something stupid in a rush of anger.

"Brains as well as looks. You assumed correctly, I _am_ threatening her." Regina said tauntingly. "I think it would be best for you to leave now."

I think Edward's cold glare could've turned water into ice. "I'm not leaving, you'll hurt Bella." He said flatly.

He reluctantly took a step backwards so he was standing next to me again, and he protectively wrapped one of his arms around me.

"I said leave!" Regina was all but yelling at him now.

I flinched in Edward's arms, and he soothingly started to rub the side of my arm, his fingers lightly moving up and down.

"Or what?" Edward challenged.

"Or I'll call the police!" Regina retorted right away.

"Go ahead and call them, he didn't do anything wrong!" I protested, matching her loud tone.

"That's what _you_ say, but it's his word against mine, I can make something up." She said, smiling devilishly. "Or how about this… Let's see what the world thinks when I tell the sad story about how my dear stepdaughter was molested by the famous Edward Cullen. I'm sure that there are more than enough reporters who would be highly interested to hear all about it."

I gasped, and Edward became immobile as a stone beside me. I knew perfectly well what this meant; we were losing this game. Regina held all the cards, and she could ruin everything with a snap of her fingers… Even if it was a lie, most people believed _everything_ they read, and greedy reporters were going to grasp every opportunity to publish the juicy story. Edward's whole world would be turned upside down if Regina would spread this false accusation; at least until we could prove that he was innocent. And even then, something like that would most definitely have consequences for his acting career… A rumor like that would follow him around for the rest of his life. And then I hadn't even mentioned the possibility of him ending up in jail…

"Leave him alone… You can't do this to him." I pleaded, my voice nearly a whisper.

Edward held up his hands in defeat and slowly shook his head. "Fine, you win. Go ahead and spread the story! Who cares about acting anyway, I'll find something else to do for a living if you want to play it this way." He told her, his tone scarily calm but at the same time filled with hatred.

Regina rolled her eyes, smiling serenely at him. "And you think that you will be able to protect Isabella when you're in jail?"

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, but not because I was fearing my own fate. It was Edward's future that concerned me, and I decided that I had to end this...

Edward opened his mouth to respond to Regina, but I stopped him, placing my hand on his arm to get his attention.

"Let it go, Edward." I told him quietly.

"What?" He asked in surprise, looking down at me, his eyes darker than I'd ever seen them before.

"Let it go… Just leave, really." I repeated, biting my lip to keep the tears from spilling out.

Regina's angry face slowly relaxed, and her lips turned up into a victorious smile.

"I'm not leaving you!" He argued.

"Yes, you are." I insisted. I briefly gazed at my psycho-stepmother, giving her a pleading look. "Give me five minutes to show Edward to the door and say goodbye."

Her eyes squinted, but after a long moment she gave a curt nod. "Five minutes." She allowed. "I'll be counting." She added before she strode into the living room, wobbling a little on her too-high heels.

"Come on." I said softly, tugging at Edward's sleeve.

"You're kidding me, are you! She's blackmailing us." Was his frantic reply.

"Precisely, and I'm not sure what to do about that."

I quickly made my way to the front door and skipped out of the house, Edward right behind me. I closed the door as soon as we were standing on the porch steps, hoping that we could have some privacy, if only for a few minutes. I turned around to face him, and he instantly took both my hands in his, gazing intently at me.

"So that's it, you're giving up?" He asked in disbelief.

I sighed, smiling apologetically at him. "For now, yes. I'm tired, Edward… Sometimes, you just can't win. I want to be with you, but maybe we have to let it rest for a few days… We should give that crazy woman some time to cool off."

Edward frowned at me. "Will she hurt you if I leave now?"

I shrugged. "I honestly can't tell you, but she probably won't hurt me physically if I don't cause a scene. All I know is that she will hurt us _both_ if you stay. I don't want that, Edward."

"No need to worry about me." He said dismissively.

"It's a little too late for that. Since I've met you, I'm starting to understand how destructive rumors can be, even if they're made up." I reminded him. "I know you're only trying to protect me, but you ending up in jail will certainly not help me. You have to accept that I want to protect you, too."

Edward stared blankly at me as he took in my words. His eyes were filled with a million different emotions, and I was unable to recognize them all. Sadness, anger, love… He just kept gazing at me without saying a word, and the silence was becoming unbearable.

"Enough…" He finally whispered when I was about to break the silence myself.

"What?" I questioned, confused.

"Enough." He said again. "This has to end _now_."

I gave him a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

His sullen look was slowly turning into one of determination. "Give me twenty-four hours." He said, squeezing my hands.

"What? Edward, I don't understand a word you're saying."

Out of nowhere, he smiled his crooked smile, something that seemed very inappropriate, considering the situation. "Twenty-four hours, my Bella." He said, firmly this time.

"And then what?"

Edward shook his head. "You'll see. I'm going to leave now, I don't want to do anything to feed Regina's anger even more. I will see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? You're joking, right? She said I had to quit my job!" I refreshed his memory.

"Who's talking about a job? We're going to the dance tomorrow, silly. I'll pick you up around eight." Edward promised as he lowered his face to kiss my forehead.

"You can't be serious, I'm not allowed to ever see you again! Regina will kill me! Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm grounded now, and I don't even have a dress! I'm not getting any of this, Edward." I said, unconsciously raising my voice.

I was getting frustrated because I couldn't keep up with his messy train of thought, and because he wasn't enlightening me. Why was he suddenly talking about something as unimportant as a dance?

"Me neither. I'm making this up as I go along, but I promise that everything will turn out alright." He replied. He agitatedly ran his hand through his tousled, bronze hair, but determination was still clear in his eyes. "As for the dress, I'll inform Alice about the emergency."

"Is there some sort of master plan forming inside that complicated brain of yours?" I asked warily.

He smirked at me. "Calling it a master plan would be giving me _way_ too much credit. More like a regular escape plan."

"Sneaking out of the house to go to the spring dance will only get me into more trouble." I stated tiredly.

"Oh no, love. I'm thinking about a _much_ bigger escape here…"

This guy was getting more confusing with each word that came out of his mouth. What was going on with all this sudden, mercurial behavior? I was dying to examine him further, but he stopped me before I could do so much as opening my mouth, leaning in and crushing his lips against mine in an urgent way. I was baffled for a nanosecond, but reacted quickly once my brain registered what he was doing. I fervently kissed him back until he pulled away.

"Twenty-four hours. Don't let her get to you, I'm going to discuss something with Alice and Emmett." He whispered, briefly pecking me on the lips while he tenderly brushed my cheek with the back of his hand.

I blinked, utterly dazed, and he turned around without another word. He walked down the porch steps, heading for his silver Volvo.

I let out a shaky breath as I watched how he got into his car and drove off. What the hell was going on inside that chaotic mind of his? Where was he going with all this? I was clueless, but according to Edward, I would find out within now and one day… All I could do now was trust him.

Regina was the one who stopped my contemplating, seeing as the front door smacked open, and she stepped outside, glaring daggers at me.

"Your time is up! Get inside, Isabella. I am very, _very_ upset with you..."

xxx

Surprisingly, she kept her hands to herself. I endured her hotheaded speech, never going against her, no matter how hard she was trying to provoke me. I was convinced that she was looking for an excuse, _any _excuse, to hit me again, but I kept my mouth shut at all times. I wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.

I was, however, subjected to a different kind of punishment… Regina had made an endless list of chores that she handed to me, and she also told me that I was grounded for as long as I lived under 'her' roof. Another part of the punishment was that I was only allowed to go outside the house to go to school, or to buy the groceries that she wanted me to get. I was doomed.

Naturally, I followed her orders; I didn't have a choice. Once she had ended her angry rant, I finished the pasta that I'd been making before Edward had showed up and all hell had broken loose. After dinner I did the dishes like I usually did, and then it was time to move on to her ridiculously long list of tasks. All possible chores you could imagine were on that dreaded list, from cleaning out the rain gutters to washing all the windows. It would take me _days_ to get everything done.

I bravely started with the first tasks, working non-stop, not giving Regina a chance to complain. Every now and then she would check on me as I worked myself to pieces, smiling maliciously if I dared to glance in her direction.

Around eleven I was tired, depressed, and feeling like a truck had ran me over. I wasn't even halfway through the list, but I was dead on my feet and I knew that it was no use to go on without getting some sleep first. I took a quick shower and went to bed, falling asleep immediately despite all my sorrow, because I was beyond exhausted…

xxx

When I woke up the next morning, it was more of the same; All day I was working my ass of while Regina frequently added some new things to the list. I gave up on trying to finish the list, seeing as it was pointless if she kept going like this…

I felt like doing a happy dance when Regina and Lauren finally left, around three pm. They were going to some over-expensive hairdresser to get new haircuts for the dance, which gave me some time to breathe. They probably wouldn't be gone for longer than an hour or two, but I was glad that I at least had an opportunity to call Edward and tell him that I was still alive.

The instant I heard the engine of Regina's car as she drove off, I stopped my current activity, which was cleaning the bathroom, and sprinted downstairs. I half ran into the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing Edward's number in a heartbeat. I didn't have to wait long for him to answer.

"Bella!" He exclaimed shakily when he picked up.

"Edward." I breathed, my whole body relaxing automatically when I heard his beautiful voice.

"Are you alright, love? Are you hurt? Talk to me please? Sorry I didn't call you, but I figured that I would only make things worse if Regina happened to find out." He rambled.

"I'm fine, she didn't really… you know, hurt me. She did give me an endless list of chores, though." I informed him gloomily. "Oh, and I'm grounded for as long as I live here."

"Which won't be much longer." I thought I heard him mutter on the other end of the phone.

"What?" I asked.

He dodged my question, and changed the subject. "Never mind. At what time are they leaving for the dance, tonight?"

I'd heard Lauren and Regina discuss this during lunch, so I had a pretty accurate answer to his question. "They're planning on meeting up with Mrs. Stanley and Jessica at the Stanley house around six pm, something about more preparations and stuff. I assume that they will go to the dance from there."

"Alright, six. Perfect." He mused.

"Perfect? You're not still seriously considering to take me to the dance?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"Of course I am. We're going to have a wonderful time tonight." Edward replied nonchalantly.

"Is this your idea of a joke? Because Regina will definitely find out, and things won't be so wonderful for me once I get home after the dance."

"Getting home will be the best part of the entire evening, love. I promise." He swore, his tone deeply sincere.

I groaned in defeat. "I'm giving up."

Edward chuckled lightly. "Good! No need to break your pretty head over this. You'll see Alice around six!"

"What? Alice?" I sputtered.

"Yes. Alice. Six." He said, clearly amused now.

"Alright…" I mumbled uncertainly.

"Everything will be great, just keep up appearances for a few more hours. I'll see you tonight." He clarified firmly.

"Okay… tonight… See you, Edward."

"Until then, my beautiful girl." He said sweetly before he hung up the phone.

I sighed as I dropped the phone on the kitchen table. For a long moment I absentmindedly stared out of the small window over the sink as I tried to make some sense, _any sense at all_, of all the things Edward had said just now. He hadn't sounded nervous or worried, more like euphoric and excited… Suddenly I had the eerie feeling that something huge was going on behind my back, something that I didn't know about.

I snapped out of it, realizing that I still had a lot of chores to do, and that it would be best if it looked like I was actually busy when the stepfamily came home...

And so I resumed scrubbing the bathroom, concentrating on nothing but the task at hand, emptying my mind and ignoring the weird feeling in my stomach.

I heard the front door slam around five, a sign that Lauren and Regina had returned, and thirty minutes later Regina yelled my name from downstairs.

"Isabella! Come here, now!" Her nasal voice echoed through the house.

I sighed, dropping my cleaning supplies before obediently making my way downstairs, following her orders like I always did.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously as I stepped into the kitchen.

Regina was sitting at the kitchen table, checking out the mail. The yellow ensemble she was wearing made me think of bananas, and I couldn't say that her new haircut was very flattering; it made her head look even bigger.

Lauren, who was sitting across from her, didn't even acknowledge my presence. When Regina had told her about Edward and I, during dinner last night, Lauren had very maturely called me a 'slut', and she had persistently ignored me ever since.

Regina made me wait for several minutes while she flipped through some brochures, but then her head snapped up and she fixed her gaze on me.

"Lauren and I are about to leave, we're going to have dinner with the Stanleys before the four of us are going to the dance, and I want to make sure that _you_ don't do something stupid tonight while we're gone." She began in a tone that was almost conversational.

If I hadn't known better, I would've said that she sounded friendly.

"Alright, I won't." I quietly agreed, knowing that if Edward had his way, it was an empty promise anyway.

Regina snorted mockingly. "And you expect me to take _your word_ for it? I don't think so. Go to your room, Isabella. And stay there." She commanded.

I frowned at her. "My room?" What was she thinking, that I was a five year old?

"Now!" She barked loudly when I didn't move right away.

I cringed and gave her a confused look, but I did as I was told, turning around and stumbling up the stairs, heading for the attic. Whatever, I would stay in there… Until her ugly ass was out of the house, that was to say. I entered my room and fell down onto my bed, not feeling particularly fit after two days of constantly cleaning…

I vaguely noted that someone else was coming up the stairs, and I half expected Lauren to barge in at any second. I impassively gazed at the doorway, when Regina suddenly appeared in front of it. She smiled lightly at me, but it wasn't the good kind of smile.

"Good girl." She praised sarcastically. "Have a nice evening, Isabella."

At first it didn't even occur to me what was happening, but then she roughly closed the door. The next thing I heard was the sound of a key, turning in a lock…

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_Oops, I did it again. xD Thanks for reading. :D I'm going to run off to my hidden cave now. xD_


	21. The Fairy Godmother

_Hey there! :D_

_It's a miracle that I survived, again. :p *Still running from the people with torches and pitchforks who are throwing knifes and smoothing irons* xD_

_Thank you so much for all the kickass reviews; _**Mouse555, Golden Perception, Sparkle. love, Beckyisavampire, XxBaby. BooXx, TwihardJonas, Kaylie, Mrs. M Cullen, MissGCullen, Sky Dragon155, Lizzie, AutumnDannie, Misseltje, BellaCullenSwan17, Thari, HannahBananna, Marijne, Sojournofscrawl, Bella'Swan'22, Miss F Cullen, Rosaa, Lizzy, 1mooncalled, Porkkana, Jrow1107, Vampiregirlsrule, Paramore luver, Jordan, xoxoSUMMER RAINE xoxo, Eeyore16, Et1141412, Otme0701, Cnelson, Jacobfan233,****Movies2560**_**, **_**Sky Dragon155 **_and_** Madeofawesome22!**_ Thanks for sticking with me! :D_

_To Mouse555: Thanks for the Edward, I totally adore him! :D_

_To Kaylie: Lol, I know, all those cliffhangers are very mean! xD I tried to be less mean with the ending of this chapter. :p_

_To Mrs. M Cullen: Sure, you can do to Regina whatever you like! :p I think a lot of people here will be more than willing to help you. :p_

_To Lizzie: Yay, thanks for giving me all that stuff to make my stay in the cave a little more comfortable! :D_

_To AutumnDannie: Yeah, that was sort of unfair of me, doing this two days in a row, I know. :p I'll try not to do it again. xD_

_To Thari: Lol, I love all your reviews, no matter how long or short they are. ;)_

_To Miss F Cullen: I'm not particularly bored of the cliffhangers, but the people with torches and pitchforks are getting kind of scary. ;)_

_To Bella'Swan'22: My secret cave is hidden very well, but I still think I can hear an angry mob outside… People can be very inventive when they're mad. :p_

_To Lizzy: Sure, have your very own, digital Emmett! :D_

_To Eeyore16: Yay, thanks for catching up! I'm glad you're liking the story so far. :)_

_Great, another way-too-long author's note. xD Anyway, here's chapter 21! Enjoy!_

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**The Fairy Godmother **

I was overcome with shock. All I could do was stare at the door like a moron… This woman was sick. Sick didn't even cover it, she was utterly nuts. As soon as my brain caught up with Regina's actions I jumped up from the bed, ran to the door, and wildly banged my fists against it.

"You can't do this! Let me out of here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Not a chance, Isabella." I could only barely make out the distant sound that was her voice.

I heard Regina and Lauren rummaging around downstairs, and five minutes later, everything went oddly quiet. My ears were registering the sound of Regina's car, and then the deadly silence returned in full force.

"Crap!" I angrily shouted to no one but myself.

I grasped the door handle, violently shaking it a couple of times. I knew it was useless, but I guessed that it was some kind of kneejerk reaction; you got locked up in a room, you tried to assault the door, even if it was a pointless waste of energy. I quickly gave up on that, and I glanced around the room, looking for inspiration. The attic only possessed one tiny window, and it was a fact that I would never fit through said window.

I restlessly paced around the small room, racking my brain for a solution. My pining was cut short when the shrill sound of the doorbell suddenly filled the silence of the deserted house._ By all means keep ringing, I'll be able to answer when pigs learn to fly. _

Oh shit, I suddenly realized who this mystery-ringer was.... Alice, at six, Edward had said… This was my shot a freedom! I had to try and get her attention. An idea suddenly crossed my mind, and I walked up to the small window, opening it with some difficulties; I hadn't opened it in ages.

"Alice!" I loudly called her name through the open window and listened carefully to hear if she responded.

No reaction.

"Alice!" I exclaimed, even louder this time.

"Bella?" I faintly heard a disconcerted voice.

"Alice? Is that you?" I screamed.

When the voice answered again, it was louder, _closer_. "No, it's the fairy godmother, alright! Of course it's me!"

"Thank god." I called back.

"Where are you? Aren't you going to let me in?" Alice yelled, some annoyance in her tone.

I groaned. "I would love to let you in, fairy godmother, but this princess is currently busy with being locked up in the tower!" Was my sarcastic, yelled reply. "Should I try hanging my hair out of the window?"

That shut her up for a second.

"Come again?" She questioned.

I sighed. "Regina locked me up in the attic." I yelled my explanation.

I didn't have to listen closely to hear Alice's response to _that_.

"That bitch!" She screamed angrily.

"Tell me about it, being locked up isn't a very exciting experience, Alice."

Some silence on Alice's part.

"Alice?" I checked to see if she was still there.

"Yes, I'm here… Hey, do you happen to have the house key there?" She asked.

"Ehm no, but there's a chance that there's a key under the eave next to the front door, if Regina didn't remove it, that is." I said as I recalled that my key might still be in its regular spot.

"Alright, I'm going to check that out, stay where you are!" She called, some humor in her voice despite the weird situation; I figured she was trying to calm me down.

I let myself fall back onto the bed and rolled my eyes. "Stay where you are… Aren't you funny, Alice Cullen." I muttered to the empty room.

There it was again, I was talking to myself like a maniac. My stepfamily's insanity was surely rubbing off on me. I waited patiently, in the meantime nervously fumbling with the bed sheets. _Please let my key still be under the eave_, I begged silently.

I couldn't even describe the relief I felt when I heard the typical sound of Alice bouncing up the stairs in her recognizable, energetic way. More good luck, apparently the key had in fact been there.

"Your stepmother is a brain-dead bimbo, and I thank the lord for that." Alice called from the other side of the door. "She didn't even take the key of your room with her, it's still in the lock."

I heard a soft click, and then Alice rushed into the room, her face filled with concern. I sprang up from the bed and I smiled gratefully at her, walking up to her and throwing my arms around her without even thinking about it.

"Thank you. You're the best, I was turning into a claustrophobic in here." I said jokingly, deliberately using a light tone to try and take away some of her obviously present concern.

Alice narrowed her eyes as she lightly pulled away. "Don't try to wave it away like it's nothing, she has gone too far, Bella."

"I know." I mumbled.

"Ah well, she will never do it again after tonight, so let's not dwell on it." Alice said, smiling warmly at me. Her tone was more cheery than it had been a few seconds ago.

"What? You think she will have a drastic change of mind after tonight? Or are you going to brainwash her?" I asked skeptically.

Alice slowly shook her head. "Bella, Bella, Bella. Never been the patient type, huh? Just relax, don't be difficult, and work with me here. I've only got ninety minutes left to make you look jaw-droppingly stunning."

I gaped at her. "Are you talking about the dance? Honestly, Alice, now's not the time for that."

"Now's the perfect time for that." Alice disagreed. "So don't mess with the plan! Here, first, put this on."

For the first time I noticed that Alice was holding a long, black clothing bag in one of her hands. She handed it to me, and I brainlessly stared at her.

"No… I can't go… Not after…" I waved my hand around the attic to make my point. "Regina will… I just can't!"

"Oh, yes you can, go put on that dress, missy! I haven't got all day, I also need some time to fix your hair and make-up!" She pushed.

"But…"

Alice raised an eyebrow at me. "Any more protests?"

I growled playfully at her before admitting my defeat. "No, I think I just ran out of excuses."

"Excellent! You put that on while I'm going to get my beauty case from the car." She sang, triumphant.

She darted out of the room, and I curiously eyed the clothing bag in my hand. Her enthusiasm had effectively knocked down all my defenses, and I obediently pulled down the zipper. A beautiful, elegant, night-blue dress was revealed and I gasped in surprise.

The dress was impressive, but I had to admit that I had my doubts about how it would look once it was draped around my far-from-perfect body.

I changed into the gown, ignoring my insecurities, knowing that going against Alice wasn't going to work anyway. If Alice had her mind set on something, it would inevitably happen the way she had planned it. Alice dashed back into my room right in time to help me with the zipper on the back, and once she was done she told me to twirl around.

"Wow, Bella. You look smashing. Edward will be very pleased." She said in awe, beaming at me.

"Do you really think so?" I asked, feeling very self-conscious since wearing a dress was highly out of character for me.

"I don't _think_ so, I _know _so. Do you want to take a look in the mirror?" She offered.

I hastily shook my head. "No, that's alright. I trust your judgment."

Alice shrugged. "Who cares what I think anyway! It's Edward's opinion that counts, and let me tell you, he will have a hard time keeping his eyes away from you tonight."

I gave her a skeptic frown. "Speaking of Edward, where is he?" I asked, drawing the attention away from me and the supermodel-dress that was miles out of my league.

"At the mansion, getting ready to take his girlfriend to the dance, where else!" Alice answered mockingly.

"Right…"

Alice smirked at me, and took my desk chair from behind my messy desk, placing it in the middle of the room.

"Okay, sit down here, Bella. I'm going to make sure that you're the most beautiful girl at the ball tonight."

I didn't object, I just sat down and let Alice work her magic. With Alice, protesting was not an option, and I tried to relax while she started to tug at my curly locks. I didn't know why she had hope that my impossible hair would cooperate, and quite frankly, I didn't care. I just closed my eyes, silently enduring her mini make-over. When she was done attacking my hopeless, messy hair, she focused on her newest target; my face.

I didn't know how long she'd been messing with my hair and face when the sound of the doorbell startled me.

"Great, more visitors." I said, feigning cheerfulness.

Alice grinned radiantly at me. "You'll approve of this visitor, it's almost eight." She hinted.

Those words were enough to make me get up from that desk chair in a shockingly fast movement, even with the dress complicating things.

"Edward!" I happily sighed his name.

She laughed briefly and winked at me."Right on time! My work here is done, so go get the door!"

Running down the stairs while wearing a long dress was not the brightest idea, especially not for a klutz like me, but I couldn't stop myself. It was a small miracle that I reached the front door without tripping, but somehow, I managed to get there uninjured.

I think I forgot to breathe for a moment when I opened the door. Edward smiled crookedly at me, and he looked devastatingly handsome. Needless to say, he always looked gorgeous, but Edward wearing a black tuxedo was nothing short of _divine_. It contrasted beautifully with his pale skin and his copper-colored hair, making him the most perfect creature I had ever laid eyes on.

"Wow…" Was the only word that found its way out of my gaping mouth.

Edward's smile widened even more. "Wow, yourself, princess." His smooth voice said as he took in my dress.

My face heated up, and I ducked my head to hide it. "Thanks." I said, my tone dismissive; even with Alice's effort, I would never be more than an average girl.

I felt how he placed one of his fingers under my chin, lifting it up, leaving me no choice but to look at him. He raised one of his perfect eyebrows in wonder, and his eyes were a liquid emerald when he spoke to me. "You can't believe that I think that you look absolutely breathtaking? Because I'm not lying when I tell you that you're more beautiful than _anything_ I've ever seen in my life."

I swallowed loudly, and my heart did some joyful flips. I instinctively launched myself into his arms, locking him in my embrace while I buried my face against his shoulder. I sighed in contentment as I greedily inhaled the sweet scent that always calmed me down.

"You look so handsome. I missed you." I whispered against his shoulder.

"Same here, love. I can't even begin to tell you how much." He breathed into my hair.

I reluctantly pulled back, gazing up at him, trying to fully comprehend the fact that this wonderful man was truly mine. He gazed right back at me, a look of admiration on his god-like face. And then he lowered his head, moving his face closer to mine.

I felt whole the second my lips collided with his. It had only been twenty-four hours since I'd last seen him, but already it had felt like a huge part of me went missing. The sweet taste of Edward invaded my senses, making my head spin. It was the good kind of spinning, and I wished that our kiss would never end.

"Ew, gross! Sis, come on! Seriously, he's not that irresistible." Out of nowhere, I heard Emmett's booming voice calling across the street.

Sure, you could leave it to Emmett to ruin a romantic moment.

I broke free in surprise, and Edward grumbled something under his breath. I looked over Edward's shoulder, and saw that Emmett had parked his Jeep next to my old truck. He walked up the porch steps and grinned teasingly at me, then smirked at his brother.

"Really, lovebirds, what's with all the cheesy stuff!" He said as he came to stand next to Edward, patting his brother on the shoulder.

I did what I normally did, which was blushing like an idiot, and shrugged at Emmett.

"Way to kill the mood, Emmett." Edward sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Someone has to make sure that you guys don't end up with your lips permanently being stuck together." Emmett defended his behavior.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked, not to be rude, but seriously wondering what he was doing at my house.

"Emmett is here to help me with… stuff." Alice's voice suddenly sounded from behind me, answering my question before Emmett had a chance to do so.

I hadn't even noticed that Alice was already standing right behind me, and I turned my head in surprise, only to see that she and Emmett exchanged a conspiratorially look.

"That's right, what she said." Emmett confirmed, nodding in his sister's direction.

"Stuff? Here?" I asked suspiciously, addressing both Alice and Emmett.

"That's right, stuff. Nothing that you should be worrying about tonight." Alice said in a tone that made it clear that this topic of discussion was closed.

"Edward?" I pressed, turning my attention back to my boyfriend and giving him an expectant stare.

His lips curved up into a smile, and he lightly shook his head. "My sister's right, nothing you should be worrying about. Come on, love, I believe we are going to a dance." He said casually, holding out his hand to me.

"Okay…" I said, hesitating briefly before I placed my hand in his.

"Perfect, you guys have fun tonight! Now shoo! Go! Party!" Alice gushed, smiling at us.

I frowned at her. "Alright… But shouldn't I, I don't know, _lock_ the door?" I asked, referring to the fact that Alice was still standing in the tiny entrance hall.

Alice shook her head. "Nope, that won't be necessary, Emmett and I have some business to take care of here, I told you."

"Business? In my house?" I asked in disbelief.

"That's right, Bells." Emmett helped out his sister. "Now step aside, little sis. We've got plenty of work to do here."

"Let's go, love." Edward pushed, pulling at my hand and all but dragging me away from his siblings.

"You're not going to enlighten me, are you?" I asked rhetorically.

Edward laughed nervously. "I'm afraid not. Later."

"Just go, Bella." Alice said tiredly. "Oh, and before you leave, I'm afraid I'll need the keys of your truck."

I threw up my hands in the air in surrender. "Whatever, I'm going to stop trying to figure out what the hell is going on here and pretend that none of this is happening. The keys are on my desk."

Edward chuckled. "That's the spirit, sweetheart."

"Thank you!" Alice said, giving me a short hug before literally pushing me down the porch steps.

Edward, who was still holding on to my hand, followed right after me. My eyes were scanning the area, automatically looking for the familiar silver Volvo, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's your car?" I questioned.

"Right over there, love." Edward said, pointing at a black, abnormally expensive car across the street.

My jaw dropped. "That car is also yours?"

He smiled shyly at me. "It's a Vanquish, it's sort of my special occasion car." He confessed. "I thought this qualified as a special occasion."

I didn't even know what to say, so I opted for just sticking to the truth. "You are unbelievable."

"Is that a compliment?" He responded playfully.

I snorted. "Maybe."

He led me to the shiny, black car, and gracefully opened the passenger door, motioning for me to get in. I tentatively got in, a little scared to break or crush something. Edward smiled reassuringly at me once I was seated, and gently closed the door.

He walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat. I wasted no time, immediately firing my burning questions at him as he started the engine.

"Was this your idea, Edward? What are they going to do? Set up a trap for Regina and Lauren?" I joked.

Edward laughed at my suggestion. "That's hardly a solution, don't you think?"

I mindlessly stared out of the window as he drove off, watching the houses of my neighbors as we passed them by. The wheels in my brain never stopped turning, but my mind was a bit fuzzy after everything that had happened in the past two days, so I came up empty.

"There's nothing I can do to get you to tell me, correct?" I checked.

He turned to briefly look at me, his face amused. "Nothing. My lips are sealed."

"But it's not a bad thing?" I pried.

Edward seemed to consider that for a moment before answering me, some doubt flashing across his face. "No, I don't think it's a bad thing, I can only hope that you'll agree with me."

I squinted my eyes at him, but the only reaction I got was another one of his uneven smiles.

He wasn't planning on giving away anything, I could see that, and so I gave up. I relaxed against the leather seat, staring at the rainy weather outside.

When we were almost there he tried to get my attention by lightly stroking the back of his hand along my jaw line. My head snapped up and I glanced up at him, his bright-green eyes meeting mine.

"You're not mad, are you, love?" He asked earnestly.

I smirked at him. "No… I'm just not a big fan of surprises, that's all."

He rolled his eyes. "Figures. Just let it go for now, okay? I want this night to be about fun, not about you worrying."

"Right, fun. Like when we went to the cinema the other day." I stated dryly.

He chuckled. "Exactly. You liked that, right?"

I grinned at him. "Most definitely."

He turned into the parking lot, and found a space to park the Vanquish. He turned off the engine, and the car went completely silent. I glanced sideways, and saw that he was doing the same. He brought one of his hands up to my face, cupping my cheek, his eyes boring into mine.

"Just ignore your stepfamily and all the other haters tonight, my beautiful Bella. I don't want you to worry about _anything_. No one will _ever _hurt you again…"

* * *

_Thanks for reading! :D At least it's not a nerve racking cliffhanger this time. ;) Anyway, a lot of social events are coming up for me this weekend, so I'm not sure when the next update will be. But I promise, as usual, that I will update as fast as I can. :)_


	22. At The Ball

_Hey guys! :D_

_Oh god, I'm sorry. xD It was a less big cliffhanger than the last two ones, but apparently people were still freaking out. :p I should've gone to the cave! :O So in order to try and save my own butt, here I am, updating._

_Anyway, thanks for leaving all the awesome reviews; _**Lizzy, Mrs. M Cullen, XxBaby. BooxX, AutumnDannie, Mouse555, Xtina316, Lizzie, Parkerstwilight, Fly, Madeliefje, Beck, Becky, Otme0701, BellaCullenSwan17, Marijne, MissGCullen, Rosaa, Golden Perception, Et1141412, Bella'Swan'22, Edwardcullenlover954, Thari, Kaylie, Teamwriting, Spooky Pumpkin, Catch Me Salvatore, xostaybeautiful, LoveIsMyWeapon13, Jacobfan223, Vampiregirlsrule, Sprinter1, TwihardJonas, Madeofawesome22, Sky Dragon155 **_and_** Jordan! **_You guys rock my socks! :D (Even with the dead threats and all. :p) _

_To Xtina316: Well you see, when a guy molests a girl against her will, it's never a good thing, no matter what age she is. :p Of course that's not the case here, but Bella knows that it would be her word against Regina's. Bella also knows that Regina would find very effective ways to make her shut up. So I wouldn't say Bella is weak, she simply picks Edward's safety over her own safety, because she loves him. ;) But I get what you're saying here, and let me tell you, Bella is fed up with Regina. You'll read it in this chapter, ;)_

_To Lizzie: Yay, a date with Edward! :D Thanks!_

_To Fly: I always take pity on you guys! :p I swear on my Twilight books that I'm always writing as fast as I can. ;)_

_To Madeliefje: Yay, nog een Nederlander, wat leuk! :D Al zijn er nog best veel Nederlandse fans trouwens, er zijn ook complete Nederlandse Twilight sites etc. _

_To Marijne: Haha, geen idee! :p Omdat ze verslavend zijn? __(a) _

_To Rosaa: It's definitely the hairspray! :p But no, Regina only expected Bella to sneak out, which would've been impossible, even with the key still in the lock. She just never considers the possibility that some of Bella's friends are going to come over there. _

_To Thari: Lol, that was the most off-topic review I've ever received from you, and that's saying something. :p_

_To Jacobfan233: Thanks for the huggles! :D *Huggles back*_

_To Madeofawesome22: OMG, your review cracked me up. xD The Disney villain handbook is simply genius. xD Regina could definitely use one. :p_

_To all of you who are sharing their theories: I'm not giving away anything, just keep reading. ;)_

_Chapter 22, peeps! Have fun! :D_

* * *

**At The Ball**

My mouth went dry, and my breathing became irregular as we approached the ticket table. I dared to sneak a look at the entrance of the gym, observing that the place was already crowded. Edward's hand was trapped in mine, my knuckles turning white as I desperately held on to him while he bought the tickets.

"Love?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes?" I gulped.

"We can go inside now." He announced dryly.

"Right… Inside." I dumbly repeated the one word that made alarm bells go off in my head.

We would have to go _inside_… Where Regina was… And Lauren… And Jessica… And the rest of Forks High. At least Angela and Ben would also be there, that was a comforting thought.

"It will be fine, you'll see." Edward assured me, protectively wrapping an arm around my waist as he led me to the entrance. "It will be a good thing for you to have one normal high school experience. Just try, if you hate it, all you have to do is let me know and we'll leave."

"What do I do when Regina spots us?" I hissed, panic taking over again now that there was no way back.

"You'll ignore her, and the same goes for everyone else who tries to get to you." Edward replied firmly.

We strolled into the gym, and I took in the cheap decorations that were covering the walls and the ceiling. A dance in good, old Forks; no fancy ballroom, the gym would have to suffice. Not that I cared, it suited this school and this town. Loud pop music filled the room, and numerous people were already enthusiastically moving around the dance floor.

"Are you still worrying?" Edward checked as he led me through the crowd, raising his voice in order to be heard over the music.

"I'm not sure, can't we escape?" I tried jokingly. "I do want to find Angela, though. You totally have to meet her!" I added when I realized that it was sort of my duty to give my best friend the honor of meeting my hot, movie star boyfriend.

Edward smiled down at me, seeming relieved that I was gradually becoming a little less tense. "Yes, I would love to meet her, princess."

"Great." I said, forcing a smile onto my face in an attempt to fool him and hide the horror that I was currently feeling.

My eyes wandered over the sea of students as I tried to catch a glimpse of Angela. At the same time I was praying that I wouldn't bump into Regina during my quest to find my friend. I was leading now, tugging Edward with me. As I searched my surroundings, I suddenly noticed that a lot of people were gaping at him. Right. Famous dude, holding hands with me. Wonderful, so much for inconspicuousness.

And then I saw Angela. She was standing near the table with refreshments, and Ben was pouring her some punch.

"Over there." I exclaimed, pointing in their direction.

Edward nodded and smiled as a sign that he understood, and we made our way to where Angela and Ben were enjoying their drinks.

"Bella! Oh my god! You're here! You came!" Angela screamed when she noticed me, looking at me with wide eyes.

She literally jumped me, attacking me with a hug.

"Yes… I figured it would be nice if you could finally meet my boyfriend." I said when she released me, winking at her. "You look amazing, by the way." I complimented her, eyeing the pale pink dress she was wearing.

"Are you kidding, you're the one who's stealing the show." She said, taking my hands and looking me up and down.

We both laughed, having one of our girly-moments, until Ben coughed.

"Are you girls going to dump your dates and run off with each other?" He remarked dryly.

I blushed, and Angela giggled.

"Yes, he's right, I'm starting to worry here." Edward agreed, but I could hear that he was amused by our little exchange.

Angela and I simultaneously rolled our eyes, which brought on a new round of laughter. I composed myself, smirking at Angela as I did a step back and put my hand on Edward's arm.

"Angela, meet my boyfriend Edward. Edward, this is my best friend Angela, and her boyfriend Ben." I used a mock official tone.

Edward used his charm, turning it up a notch by using the crooked smile as he shook Angela's hand, then Ben's. Angela blushed the color of a tomato, only mumbling a 'hello' as he shook her hand, obviously star struck.

Ben, on the other hand, smiled friendly while shaking hands with Edward. "Nice to meet you, Edward."

"Likewise." Edward said, returning his smile.

It appeared that grumpy, isolated Edward had left the building for good. He was interacting with people who were total strangers to him, and his behavior was normal and polite. I noticed how Angela still stared at him in awe, and I decided that I owed her a favor for all the times she had helped me out during these last few weeks.

"So I was thinking, Edward…" I began conversationally, addressing him but making sure that it was loud enough for Ben and Angela to hear. "Seeing as I never had a chance to really chat with Ben until now, that maybe you could help me out and dance with Angela. I'm sure Ben won't mind dancing with me for a moment, because it's absolutely necessary that I grill him to see if he's worthy to date my best friend."

I winked at Ben, hoping that he would pick up the hint, and he responded with a grin, giving me a small nod. Angela gasped visibly, blankly staring at me as my words were sinking in.

"Right! The best friend playing Spanish Inquisition is part of the regular dating-routine." Ben played along.

Edward chuckled. "I don't mind at all, you do what you have to do." He told me as he caught on.

"Thanks, honey." I said, smiling sweetly at him.

"If Angela is alright with all this of course." Edward said playfully, extending his hand towards Angela.

"Wow… Yes… I'm totally alright with that!" Angela managed to blurt out blushingly.

I laughed quietly as Ben led me to the dance floor, and I was closely watching Angela as Edward did the same with her. Her face was glowing with excitement, and it seemed she had found her voice again, since she was babbling at him now.

"I have to admit that I'm not a very brilliant dancer." Ben said, smiling apologetically at me.

I let out a loud snort. "Neither am I, so this is bound to be fun."

Ben laughed with me as we started to dance, or more like stumble, around the floor. I noticed how Ben slyly glanced at Angela and Edward, frowning a little as he watched them. I raised my eyebrows at him, silently inviting him to spit it out.

"You don't suppose she likes him better than me, do you?" He asked out of the blue, voicing his concerns.

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, certainly not. As her friend, I can assure you that she's only interested in you."

"But look at her, she looks like a kid on Christmas morning!" Ben argued.

"She's dancing with a famous movie star, what do you expect?" I said teasingly. "Honestly Ben, all she ever talks about is you, and even though I can't look inside her head, I'm pretty sure that all she ever _thinks_ about is you. You should have heard her the day you asked her to this dance."

"Really?" Ben mused, a smile slowly forming on his face.

"Yes, so you'd better take good care of her, buddy." I gave him a mock warning.

He grinned. "I will… She's one amazing girl."

I nodded in agreement as I briefly looked at her and Edward. "Yes, that she is."

We danced until the song changed, and then we switched partners. I tried to get out of more dancing, but of course Edward demanded that I danced with him as well, especially after the little stunt I had pulled.

"It's a dance, love. What's in a name." Edward teased me as he wrapped his arms around me and dragged me to the middle of the dance floor.

"But I can't dance." I complained.

"You danced with Ben." Edward reminded me.

"Did you see us? What we just did hardly fits into the category dancing."

"Yes, because Ben couldn't dance, either. But _I_ can dance." He said, his green eyes sparkling brightly as we started to sway to the music.

"Yes, you can do anything." I muttered.

He rolled his eyes but didn't go against me, changing the subject instead.

"That was a very nice thing you did for Angela." He complimented me.

I smiled at him while I also tried to concentrate on the dancing; my goal was to at least remain upright. "She's such a good friend, I wanted to do something for her."

"Yes, she's a very friendly girl." Edward agreed wholeheartedly. "She spoke nothing but kind words about you, just now."

"Yeah, she's a great buddy."

To my sincere surprise, with Edward leading the dancing wasn't as horrible as I had imagined it to be. For one thing because I was in Edward's arms the entire time, and for another thing because I knew that I could trust him to not let me fall. Another strange realization was that I was _enjoying_ myself. Sure, some of my fellow students were curiously staring at us, the females ogling Edward, but it didn't even matter. Just ignore them, he had said, and I was doing exactly that, following his advice.

It was a miracle that I hadn't stumbled upon Regina yet, but I wasn't complaining. I blocked out any thoughts about her that tried to disturb me, even though I was ninety-nine percent positive that she was watching me at this very moment, waiting for an opportunity to confront me. After all, the gym wasn't _that_ big, and Edward was drawing a lot of attention…

"Is it me, or are you actually having fun, Miss Swan?" He said, guessing my thoughts.

"Why yes, Mr. Cullen. This isn't so bad."

My arms were draped around his neck, and I tightened my grip a little as we swirled on and on. I felt almost giddy as we moved around the floor, until I saw a familiar face, causing my heart to skip several beats. _Lauren_. She was dancing with Tyler Crowley, and throwing me a dead glare when our eyes locked for a moment.

"Oh great, there's the evil stepsister to ruin the party." I said, irritated.

Edward leaned in to whisper in my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin. "Ignore her."

"I'm trying, but if looks could kill…" I trailed off suggestively.

"She's just jealous. They all are. Don't pay attention to it." He said seriously, pulling back slightly so he could look me in the eye. He did that unfair dazzling thing again. Damn, he was an expert when it came to dazzling…

"Fun?" I mumbled helplessly, lost in his eyes.

He chuckled. "Yes, fun. In fact, let's see if we can _truly_ drive Lauren insane. I know something that will guarantee that she snaps and ends up in the loony bin."

"What do you mean?"

He smiled a heartbreaking smile. "This." He said huskily, and he leaned in again, this time to softly brush his lips against mine.

"Flaunting… is… not nice." I mumbled against his lips.

"Who cares." He hummed in reply.

_That's right, who cares_; a smug little voice in my head agreed with him. My hands found their way into his silky hair, and my lips fervently started to move against his. And Lauren was long forgotten, as were all the other people in the room. It was only me and him in our own private bubble as our lips moved in synch, ignoring the music and creating their own rhythm.

A boney, long-nailed hand on my shoulder was what brought me back to earth, and I winced in Edward's arms. He realized that something was wrong, and pulled back, ending the kiss. I turned around, and there stood Regina, her eyes spitting fire at us.

There she was. Again. Ruining my fun. Again. Like she had done a million times during the last eight years of my life. I was so sick of it. Every time there was even the tiniest bit of sunshine in my life, she would make sure to be there just in time to bring in the clouds. And now she was doing it again, destroying my perfect night with Edward. Something inside of me snapped.

"Bella…" Edward said quietly.

I briefly took his hand in mine, giving it a firm squeeze. "It's alright, Edward. This isn't your war, I should fight my own battles."

"Isabella!" She fumed my name. "I've watched this disgusting show for long enough. Go home! This instant!"

Suddenly Lauren and Jessica appeared beside her, Lauren's face filled with smugness. Jessica's expression was mostly excited, greedily waiting for fresh gossip.

"No!" The word was out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

Regina narrowed her eyes at me. "You're not seriously going to disobey me, are you?"

I didn't know how I found the courage to do it, but I rolled my eyes at her. "Seems I already did, otherwise I would still be locked up in an _attic_." I replied icily.

Lauren gasped, and Regina's jaw practically dropped.

"Of course you were, you were _grounded_!" Regina sneered, emphasizing the word 'grounded'.

"For no reason at all! I didn't do anything wrong, Regina!" I was on the verge of yelling now.

"The hell you weren't! You were messing around with that boy after I had specifically told you that you were forbidden to date him!" She spat, accusingly pointing a finger at Edward.

"I'm eighteen years old, I'm allowed to do whatever I want to do!" I argued, presenting her with a glare of my own.

Adrenaline was rushing through me, giving me an extra boost, which was rather welcome at this point. I still didn't know where this sudden bravery had come from… The fact that we were surrounded by lots of witnesses was surely helping, but I knew that they wouldn't be there once I got home, tonight... Nonetheless, despite that disturbing little detail I thought it was time to give her a piece of my mind.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself in to!" Regina's voice was nothing but a loud hiss.

"What? You're going to threaten me again? Because that's okay! You can do with me whatever you want when this party is over! Just try to be an adult for once and leave Edward out of this. This is between you and me!" I said, matching her furious tone.

She pursed her fake lips, and her cold, gray eyes were staring right through me. "I've had it with you and your big mouth!" She shrieked in frustration.

Her sneer was followed by the last thing I would've expected her to do in this public place; she lifted up her hand, and she was about to strike. I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact, but it never came. I hesitantly opened them again, and saw that Edward had grabbed her wrist to restrain her.

"Oh, no you don't." He growled at her.

"Don't touch me! Let go of me! You just wait and see!" She yelled at Edward as she tried to free her hand.

He gave her a dark look that was filled with disdain and arrogance. "I'm not enjoying this anymore than you are, the fact that I have to touch you simply disgusts me, but if you want to hurt Bella, you leave me no choice. I can't even believe you would be as stupid as to hurt her in front of such a large audience."

"Well, she _deserves_ it." Regina snapped.

"If anyone _doesn't _deserve it, it's her." Edward contradicted as he cautiously released Regina's hand.

The evil stepmother was stunned for a moment, but when her few brain cells started to work again, she lowered her hand ever so slowly.

"This is not over." Regina hissed at me. "I'm sure you can guess what will be waiting for you at home."

I thought I heard Edward laugh, but he tried to hide it as a cough.

I threw him a wary glance before turning back to my witchy stepmother.

"And I'll be ready for it." I assured her, not hiding my face but staring her directly in the eye, something that was very unlike me.

She merely glowered. "Come on girls, let's go." She urged on Lauren and Jessica.

"But mom! You can't just let her get away with this!" Lauren protested, gaping at her mother.

Regina smirked at her daughter, and then glared at me maliciously. "I won't, honey. I won't." She promised darkly.

Lauren gave me a mock sympathetic grin as she turned around, following her mother and best friend who were already making their way through the crowd of dancing people.

I let out a deep breath and looked up at Edward, who was smiling proudly at me.

"Wow, that felt good!" I stated, still a bit baffled by my own reactions.

He laughed a carefree, musical laugh. "I figured it would. Maybe you should've done that earlier."

"Maybe… Then again maybe not." I lightly disagreed. "I'm not really looking forward to what's waiting for me at home."

"Really? Because I think that there will be a lot of nice things waiting for you." Edward predicted as he wrapped his arms back around me and started to move so we were swaying to the music again.

"This is not something to joke about." I scolded him.

"I'm not joking. When I _say_ nice things, I _mean_ nice things. I'm talking about cookies here, and chocolate, and lots of hugs and kisses. And everything else you want, for that matter." He said, his tone still nonchalant.

One of his hands found my cheek, lovingly stroking it with his long, pale fingers while his eyes gazed into mine, making me a prisoner of his green stare.

"You're not funny." I protested again.

"Still having trouble when it comes to trusting me, am I right?" Edward questioned playfully, feigning hurt.

"I trust you, I just have a problem with all this nonsense you're talking."

"It's not nonsense." Edward nearly sounded offended. "Why don't I bring you home so you can see for yourself?"

I sighed but shrugged in defeat. "Why not, I should go home anyway. Perhaps I can lighten Regina's mood by doing some of the chores that are on that stupid list of hers, before she gets home."

Edward smiled mysteriously at me. "I'm not sure about the chores-part… But come on, love. Let's go home…"

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_Thanks for reading, as always; next update as soon as possible! :)_


	23. Home

_Hey there! :D_

_Thanks so much for all the great reviews; _**Thari, BellaCullenSwan17, Rosaa, Mrs. M Cullen, Fly, Sparkle. love, AutumnDannie, Sky Dragon155, Beckyisavampire, Vampiregirlsrule, Lizzie, Golden Perception, Parkerstwilight, KellanLutzfan1, Victooriousss, Madeliefje, MissGCullen, Heal my bleeding heart, Mouse555, Vampiresam95, Spooky Pumpkin, XxBaby. BooxX, Bella ya its my name, TiGerrr, Et1141412, Quinstar, Vigskcaine, Jordan, MunchBunch, Bella'Swan'22, xxLittle-Miss-Imoniexx, Kris, Rosalie-Emmett-Kristin-Jett, Sara Lautner, Madeofawesome22, Cnelson, Cullen4life1996, Twifanforever460, Me and Balou, Paramore luver, Gnomegirl13, Cullenbaby94, CandyCornXOXO**_**, **_**Porkkana, Sprinter1, Fairytale92, Alexis Paige **_and _**TwihardJonas!**_ You guys are the most awesome reviewers on the planet! :D_

_To Thari: Oh yeah, you're right, I didn't think about the whole cheeseburger-thing. :p_

_To Sparkle. love: Thanks for the hug! :D *Hugs back*_

_To Lizzie: Yay, thanks for the laptop! :D_

_To Madeliefje: Yeah, a lot of people in the Netherlands know Twilight now. :D Although I have to admit that the real 'hype' only started here a year ago or so. ;)_

_To Heal my bleeding heart: Thanks for the hugs, chocolate and Edward! :D And I'm not sure how many chapters there are left. I'm guessing around four, but like I said, it's only a guess. ;)_

_To MunchBunch: Yep, I also wrote 'All I Never Wanted'. xD Glad you liked it! :)_

_If I didn't answer your question, that means it will be answered in this chapter. :p By the way, sorry about all the cliffhangers in this story. Normally, I rarely do cliffhangers, but in this story they just kept popping up. xD My sincere apologies, I can't help it that I suddenly became the queen of cliffhangers. xD_

_New chapter, peeps! Lots of fluffy stuff, enjoy. :)_

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**Home**

Things were unusually quiet in the car when Edward and I were driving away from the dance, on our way back home. Normally I would babble at him about every random thing that popped up in my head, but right now I was gazing out of the window of the Vanquish with a zombie-like stare, preoccupying myself with figuring out what he was up to. Against my better judgment, I tried to pull it out of him one more time.

"So… Are you finally going to tell me what Alice and Emmett were doing at my place tonight?" I asked.

Edward had also been lost in thought, but my voice woke him up. He looked at me, giving me that uneven smile. "I don't think so, you can wait for another ten minutes." He teased.

"Not fair, I've waited all night!" I grumbled.

"You could try to _guess_. If you're right, I'll tell you." Edward offered.

"How generous of you." I muttered sarcastically.

"Take it or leave it." He said, his lips twitching, indicating that he was trying to keep himself from smiling. It seemed that my grumpiness was unimpressive; it was only amusing him.

"Fine!" I gave up. "They are… building a panic room inside my house where I can run off to whenever the stepfamily goes loony!"

Edward laughed, slowly shaking his head. "You're very creative, love. I have to give you that."

"Okay… That's not it then, new guess. They are… sneakily replacing all Regina's hair products so she'll be completely bald after her next shower." I joked, throwing the serious guessing out of the window.

"Bingo." Edward said, laughing again.

"Yeah, make fun of your girlfriend, why don't you! I'm not talking to you until you tell me." I threatened playfully.

Edward shrugged. "I'm sure I'll manage to survive the silence for five minutes."

"You asked for it." I muttered before locking my lips.

Edward didn't say anything, but a smile was permanently plastered on the soft, flawless lips that I loved so much. After watching him for a minute or so I went back to my previous occupation, gazing out of the window, into the darkness that was surrounding us.

It took me a moment to observe that something was off. I still recognized the road we were driving on, but this wasn't the route he usually followed when bringing me home. I didn't say anything; surely he had a good reason for taking this detour. It didn't matter anyway, Edward could kidnap me and take me to Antarctica, for all I cared.

I kept staring at the road ahead while I still refused to talk to my stubborn boyfriend, but I couldn't deny that my curiosity was sparked when the white gate that led to the Cullen mansion suddenly appeared from out of the darkness. Joe was standing next to it, nodding at Edward before he opened the gate.

"Are we going to your place? Because I don't have much time." I reminded him as he drove past the fencing.

He laughed lightly. "I thought you weren't talking to me… And you're wrong, you've got all the time in the world."

I frowned at him. "Are we going to have a sleepover? Because it will only _delay_ my punishment, you know that, right? Besides, when Regina finds out about it, there's no telling _what _she will do once I get home tomorrow."

"Just calm down, love."

I eyed him skeptically as he parked the Vanquish in front of the mansion, next to my truck. Wait a minute… _Next to my truck. _Had Alice and Emmett borrowed it? But with what purpose? They both had their own flashy cars, no need for them to borrow this old piece of scrap metal.

Edward remained silent, merely smiling as he got out of the car and walked around the back. He opened my door and helped me out. He closed the door, locked the car, and gently took my hand in his. Never breaking the silence, he led me to the house, up the porch steps, and unlocked the front door to let me in.

"Really, Edward, what's going on? You're confusing me, you said you would bring me home." I pressed as we walked into the entrance-hall.

"Who says I didn't?" Was Edward's reply.

I blinked and stared glassily at him. Was he saying…

"What?" I asked, stunned.

He threw in the crooked smile, his green eyes sparkling with excitement as he turned to face me and took both my hands in his.

"I thought it was time for you to have a _real _home. Home is a place where you feel at ease and relaxed, Bella. Where you're happy, where you can have time to yourself and where you'll gladly go back to after a long day of school. Not a place where you're enslaved and where you have to mind your every action because of the fear of getting punished."

"But…" I stuttered, completely shocked.

"Move in with me, princess." He said, leaning closer and unleashing the full power of his emerald orbs on me.

Oh my god. I was speechless, unable to form even the simplest sentence. The prince wanted me to live in his castle… Could I do that? The last thing I wanted to do was to get in his way...

"I- I don't want to be a burden, Edward. You don't have to do this…" I said quietly.

"A burden? You are utterly ridiculous! You don't have the slightest idea how much of a relief it will be to me if you come and live here. I'm worrying about you every second of the day, it's much better for my health if I know that you're safely here with me." He countered.

"So you really want me to…" I trailed off, waving my hand at the nicely decorated hall that surrounded us.

"Yes! More than you can possibly imagine."

"And you would _like_ it if I lived here?" I questioned in wonder, having trouble accepting that.

"Naturally, yes! Look, I don't want to force you… All your life you've been doing things that other people want you to do. That's not what I want for you, so it has to be _your_ choice."

"Wow." I whispered in awe as I considered his proposal. Not that I truly needed to think about that, I already knew what I wanted. "I think I would like that very much."

"Yes?" Edward exclaimed excitedly, his angel's face glowing.

"Yes!" I confirmed, smiling radiantly at him.

I let out a short, shaky laugh, caused by his enthusiasm, as well as the relief I felt. He laughed with me and took me in his arms, hugging me close to his body.

"Thank you so much, Edward… I don't even know what to say!" I blurted out between giggles.

"You don't have to say anything. I just want you to be happy and safe." He said as he lifted me up in his arms and swirled me around.

More giggles were ensured, and when my feet were safely back on the ground again, I rewarded him with a brief but urgent kiss on the lips.

"Thanks, really." I muttered again, blushing.

"Anytime, love." He replied sweetly. "And now there's something I want to show you."

"Oh, and what would that be?" I asked, curious as ever.

"You'll see."

And with that, he scooped me up into his arms again, carrying me, bridal style. Again I was laughing, and I locked my arms around his neck and held on to him. He aimed for the stairs, and I gave him a disapproving look.

"I can walk, you're not seriously going to carry me up the stairs again, are you? I'm conscious this time, there's no need for you to pain yourself." I complained.

"Give me some credit, Bella." He responded, rolling his eyes in a dismissive way as he proceeded to carry me upstairs.

"Stubborn boy." I muttered inaudibly.

We reached the second floor, and I noticed that he was heading for the large guestroom, the one that Alice and I had painted blue the other day. He set me back on my feet in front of the door, slowly opening it, an expectant grin on his face.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Bring it on!" I encouraged him.

I gasped in surprise as soon as I checked out the room. Two days ago it had been empty, and right now, all my stuff was there. I whispered another 'wow' as I stepped further into the room.

"What if I'd said no?" I asked teasingly as I looked around in wonder.

"Then Emmett and Alice would've moved everything back, first thing tomorrow." He said indifferently.

Everything was exactly the same as it had been in the old, dusty attic. Except the fact that I had ten times more space here. I did a closer investigation, and found that Alice and Emmett hadn't missed a thing. My books, CD player, even my outdated computer, it was all there. The mess that normally covered my desk was somewhat reorganized, but everything was present. I walked over to the closet, opening it, only to see that it was a huge walk-in closet. All my clothes were there, although it was a mystery to me how my small wardrobe was filling at least eighty percent of that enormous closet.

"I don't remember having that many clothes." I mused, turning back to look at Edward, who was watching me from his place in the middle of the room.

He grinned sheepishly. "I think Alice went a little overboard. She might have abused my credit card to buy some extra stuff for you."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "You don't have to buy things for me."

He warningly quirked an eyebrow at me. "You'd better get used to it, because my new plan is to spoil you beyond all reason."

"Is there a point in me protesting?" I tried.

He shook his head, smirking at me.

I sighed, accepting my defeat. "I'll save my breath, then."

"You do that." He said, walking up to me and tenderly kissing my forehead. "Do you like it?" He added, stepping back and gesturing around the room with his hand.

"Are you kidding! I love it!" I wasn't the squealing type, but what I was doing at the moment sounded close to squealing.

"Good, because it's all yours. As is the rest of the house. You're allowed to go wherever you want, do whatever you want, invite whoever you want…" He listed, smiling at me.

I threw myself into his arms again, trapping him between my own arms and resting my head on his shoulder. "That sounds like one big vacation." I murmured next to his ear.

"Does it? Wait until you hear about the rules." He whispered into my hair, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Oh… What are the rules?" I played along with his little game.

"There's only one rule, really…"

"And what's that?"

"The rule's that there are no rules in this house." He informed me.

My grip on him tightened as I felt how a few stupid tears made their way down my face. Never in my life had I felt this happy, and it was all thanks to the wonderful man in my arms.

"I love you so much." I sniffled.

"I love you, too." Was his immediate response. "And from now on I'll protect you until the day your heart stops beating."

"No Regina anymore?"

"Never. Emmett and Alice were very thorough with their moving-plan, so you won't ever have to go back to face that creepy stepmother of yours."

He tentatively pulled away so he could look at me. "Oh, sweetheart, you're crying. I hate to see you cry." He said, cupping my face in his hands and brushing away the tears with his thumbs.

"They're the good kind of tears, Edward." I assured him, my voice breaking a little. "It's just that I realized how lucky I am to have you."

He almost invisibly shook his head, smiling lovingly at me. "I'm the lucky one, my beautiful Bella." He whispered as he leaned in to capture my lips with his, once again…

xxx

I was lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling of my new room after I'd already tossed and turned for over an hour. The bed was comfortable, the room was great, but there was a storm raging outside, which complicated sleeping. The stormy weather always made me restless, and it also didn't help that I wasn't a big fan of thunder; it still scared the heck out of me, even though I was eighteen years old. I could see flashes of light behind the closed curtains, and frequently a loud crash of thunder would cause me to flinch. I turned to try and sleep on my side, only to roll over to my other side two seconds later.

An abnormally heavy roll of thunder made me sit up straight, my heart beating frantically in my chest at the sudden loud noise.

"Aargh, stupid weather in lame, old Forks." I huffed to myself as I rubbed my eyes before resting my head in my hands.

Why did I have to be such a wimp? It was just a thunderstorm, nothing special. Most people just slept through it as if it wasn't even there… I wondered if Edward was one of those people, or if he was a wimp, like me. The mere idea of being close to him was comforting to me, and before I knew it I was out of bed, sneaking out of my room. I tiptoed through the hallway, to his room, which was right across from mine.

I quietly opened the door, slipping inside.

"Edward?" I hesitantly called his name into the dark.

All I got from him was an incoherent grumble. Wonderful, it seemed that he was indeed one of those people who could sleep through the end of the world without even noticing that something was going on. I was deliberating, not sure what to do now. Wake him up? Be a good girl and go back to my room? Sneak into his bed without asking permission? None of my options sounded very appealing.

A loud roar of thunder made me tremble on my feet, making the decision for me.

"Edward?" I called a second time.

"Hmm?"

I took it as a sign to proceed.

"I don't want to wake you but I…" I started, but was cut off by his sudden movement.

Even in the dark I could see that he shot up faster than I would've thought possible.

"Oh god! Bella, are you alright?" He asked in a reflex, sounding a little sleep drunk.

"Yes! I'm fine." I said quickly. "I'm sorry… This is just me, being stupid."

"Stupid? What are you talking about? What's wrong?" He asked as he switched on the small light on his bedside table so I could finally see his pale face.

"Nothing… The thunder just scares me." I confessed, my cheeks heating up. "I know that I must sound like a five year old to you right now."

Edward let out a laugh that was filled with relief. "Silly girl. You scared me for a minute, I thought something terrible had happened."

"Sorry again." I mumbled, dropping my eyes and staring at my feet.

"It's fine, I'm glad you're okay. So do you… want to stay here?" He offered.

My head snapped up, and more blushing was involved when I answered him. "If that's alright with you."

He laughed that quiet laugh that sounded like music. "There's more than enough room here."

He gestured to the empty space next to him, and I smiled timidly as I walked up to the bed. I hesitated momentarily before I crawled under the covers next to him. I opted for a safe distance between us, giving him some room to breathe. I was already invading his privacy as it was, and I didn't want him to get tired of me before my first day here had even ended.

I rested on my side so I could look at him. He did the same, and he was gazing right back at me, his green eyes smoldering me from under those thick lashes.

"Come here." He said softly, opening his arms to me.

Wow, he was volunteering… I didn't have to think twice about that, and I scooted closer to him, snuggling against him as he wrapped his arms around me. My hands rested against his chest and they secured themselves to the fabric of his shirt. We shared one pillow, and our faces were only inches apart as we stared at each other.

"Are you sure this is alright… I'm making a very bad impression on my first day here, I can see that." I said jokingly.

He chuckled, and his breath washed against my lips. "Yes, it's more than alright, the bed's big enough for both of us. You're always welcome to sleep here, Bella. Even if there's no scary thunderstorm."

"But you gave me my own room, and my own bed." I reminded him.

"Yes, because I think that you need a place to yourself, for moments when you need some alone time, and because I don't want to force you to sleep in my bed. On the other hand, if you want to, I'll gladly share it." He explained while one of his hands soothingly started to stroke through my hair.

God, how I loved this guy. I didn't even know what to say to him, I could never thank him enough for everything he had done. I nuzzled my face against his neck, softly kissing the spotless skin there. He let out a sharp breath, and I slowly kissed my way up, covering his chiseled jaw in kisses.

"Bella…" He breathed my name, closing his eyes in pleasure.

I moved on to his face, kissing every inch of it before finally searching his lips.

"You're my hero, Edward." I whispered, pausing at the corner of his mouth. "I love you so much it scares me."

"Why would it scare you?" His eyes slowly opened, and he glanced up at me.

"Because I don't know what I'll do if you ever leave me." I admitted.

His face showed his surprise. "Why would I do that, you silly, crazy, beautiful girl?"

I bit my lip as I thought about my answer. "You're bound to get tired of me eventually, especially now that I'm going to be around every single day."

"How can you even say that?" He asked incredulously, taking my face between his hands again as I still hovered over him. "I won't ever get tired of you, please grasp that. I love you, Bella. And I mean not just for a week, or a year, or a decade. I mean _forever_. The hold you have on me is eternal, even if you're having trouble believing that."

I needed no further confirmation, and I lowered my lips to his. I sighed in satisfaction when our lips were connected at last, as did he, his breath invading my mouth. One of his hands came to rest at the nape of my neck, keeping me in place, and the other was firmly resting on my lower back. As always my hands were drawn to that tousled bronze hair of his, playing with the silky strands.

We kissed until we were both breathless, and I rolled off of him, resting my head on his chest. His arms snaked back around my waist, and I let out a contented sigh.

"I think the storm is over." Edward remarked, humor in his voice.

I listened for a second, hearing that it had turned quiet outside, and I snorted loudly. "Yeah, I guess so. Thanks for the nice distraction."

"You're more than welcome." He said smugly.

"Should I go back to my own bed now that all is well?" I asked reluctantly.

"I'd rather you stayed here, but you're free to leave."

I grinned goofily. "In that case, staying it is."

I stifled a yawn as I made myself comfortable, curling up against his side. Edward switched off the light, and planted a kiss in my hair.

"Goodnight, Edward." I mumbled, my eyelids drooping.

I felt highly comfortable in his arms, his heavenly scent all around me, and suddenly I was seconds away from a peaceful sleep.

"Sweet dreams, princess." He whispered back. "You're the love of my life and I swear that I will _never_ leave you…"

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_That's it for today! If you love my Edward and want to marry him, raise your hand, lol. :p I'll update again as soon as I can. :)_


	24. Revenge

_Hey there! :)_

_Wow, thanks for leaving all those wonderful reviews; _**Layla James, Golden Perception, Sky Dragon155, Beckyisavampire, Lizzy, x-Taiiwo-x, Lexi, Paramore luver, XxBaby. BooxX, Rosaa, Movies2560, Fairytale92, Porkkana, AutumnDannie, Otme0701, Marijne, xoxoSUMMER RAINExoxo, BellaCullenSwan17, Misseltje, Mouse555, Parkerstwilight, Et1141412, Kammi93, Lizzie, Temporaryinsanity91, 20xXMusicAngelXx09, Jordan, LoveIsMyWeapon13, Twifanforever460, Vampiregirlsrule, Thari, Rocker1901, Mrs. M Cullen, Bella'Swan'22, Rosalie-Emmett-Kristin-Jett, Cnelson, Madeofawesome22, Cullen4life1996, TwihardJonas, Kris, Fly, Sunshine72, Sparkle. love, Catch Me Salvatore, Xtina316, Madeliefje, Cullenbaby94,**** VampChic1, Uriah Cullen, Jacobfan233, CandyCornXOXO, Mcutie **_and_** Twilightluvr24!**_ You peeps are such a big support! :D Sorry if I forgot anyone. xD_

_Seems a lot of you were interested in marrying Edward, so everyone gets a free, digital Edward today! Have fun marrying him! :D For the people who would rather marry Jasper: A free, digital Jasper for you guys! :D_

_I'm sorry I can't answer all of you, seeing as the author's note would be longer than the actual chapter, but I adore all the wonderful reviews! :D I'll answer the most urgent questions._

_To Lizzy: I'm afraid that failfictiondotnet messed up again then, because I didn't receive your review. xD Let's blame this nutty, technically-retarded site. :p_

_To Mouse555: I get to marry Edward, huh? That sounds like a great deal! :p_

_To Lizzie: I hope you're feeling better! And happy birthday, as requested, here's your present! :D_

_To Jordan: You'll see what happens when Regina finds out in this chapter. :p_

_To Thari: Wow, you've truly outdone yourself. O_o You're certainly breaking records when it comes to talking nonsense. :p You must've been really tired. xD_

_To Bella'Swan'22: I'm not that fond of cherries. :p Anyway, as for your other questions, just keep reading to find out, I'm not giving that away, yet. By the way, if you're going to print out this story, I'll warn you, it's already about 175 pages in Word. :p_

_To Cnelson: You're referring to the fact that Charlie didn't leave a will? He just didn't, that's the end of that story. :p If she found some hidden will in the end, it would be a total Cinderella Story rip off, and I don't want that. ;)_

_To Madeliefje: I'm not a big fan of sequels, dus waarschijnlijk niet. :p_

_Okay folks, on with the story! Have fun! :D_

_

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_

**Revenge**

I felt a little disorientated when I woke up. Everything around me was soft and warm, and my brain instantly registered Edward's familiar scent. I slowly opened my eyes to try and shake the fuzzy feeling, and the first thing I saw were the gorgeous green eyes of the perfect man himself. He was lying next to me, gazing at me in admiration, as if I were the most interesting thing in the entire universe. This guy was totally nuts, but then again, I knew that before. His arms were still loosely draped around me, but there was some distance between us now.

"Good morning, my beautiful princess." He greeted me quietly, his eyes soft and gentle.

I blinked lazily, grinning at him. "Good morning, my handsome prince."

He rewarded me with the ever-charming crooked smile.

"Were you staring at me while I was sleeping?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

Edward smiled guiltily. "Maybe…"

One of his hands found its way to my face, tenderly stroking my cheek.

"You know that staring at someone who's sleeping is considered creepy, right?" I teased him, placing my hand over his and keeping it in place against my cheek.

"I couldn't help it, you looked so peaceful… So heartbreakingly beautiful. Keeping my eyes away from you would have been such a waste." He defended himself.

I playfully rolled my eyes. "You always know exactly what to say to get away with everything, don't you?"

He chuckled. "Busted."

We both laughed lightly, until his hand left my cheek and softly caressed my jaw, before moving on to the side of my neck. I closed my eyes, reveling in the feeling of pure bliss. I still had a hard time believing that all of this was real. What if I suddenly woke up? What if I was suddenly thrown back into reality? Back to the dusty attic, back to my horrible stepfamily… The thought was horrifying, and I shivered unconsciously.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked, his forehead creasing.

I nodded quickly. "Yeah… I was just thinking how surreal this all is."

"Hmm, I can imagine that. I'm sure this must be like entering an alternative universe, after eight years of being tortured by the wicked witch and her obnoxious little sidekick."

He scooted closer to me so he could peck me on the lips. I beamed at him and gave him a kiss in return.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Yes, thank you." I answered truthfully.

"Good. Then I suppose it would be best if you slept here from now on. No personal gain, of course, I'm merely taking your personal health into account." Edward said, his face straight.

"Oh, yes, we should definitely consider my health." I agreed eagerly.

He smirked at me, pressing another kiss against my lips before he sat up and slid out of the bed.

"You're leaving? It's Sunday! Aren't normal people supposed to sleep in on Sunday?" I protested.

He snorted in amusement. "You can sleep some more if you want, love."

"I'm done sleeping, but that's not the point!" I grumbled.

He arched his eyebrows. "Then enlighten me, princess. What _is _the point?"

"Cuddling?" I replied, the word sounding like a question.

Again he laughed, shaking his head. "We can cuddle all day if you want, we don't have to be in a bed in order to do that. But quite frankly, I'm starving, so I'm going to make us some breakfast."

"Oh… That doesn't sound like a bad idea, either." I admitted, noticing my empty stomach for the first time now that he had brought it up."

"That's what I thought. So how about this… You relax, take some time to start up, take a shower if you want to, and in the meantime I'll bake us some pancakes." He bargained.

"That sounds perfect… But shouldn't I help you?" I offered.

"No, you've already done enough cooking and cleaning for a lifetime." He said, his tone final.

"But I…" I began.

"No, love. No chores for you." He said, emphasizing each word and using his dazzling green eyes to back up his words.

"Fine!" I gave in with poor grace.

He smiled smugly. "Great, see you downstairs, love."

I watched his every step as he headed for the door, observing that he looked delicious, even with pajama pants, a simple grey shirt and messy hair. He glanced back at me before he strode out of the door, the smirk still plastered on his face.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer.

I attempted to be nonchalant as I answered him. "I'm shamelessly ogling you and appreciating your hotness."

He let out a laugh at my unsubtle explanation. "At least you're honest."

He winked before he disappeared through the doorway, and I glanced around the room, sighing dreamily. My life had gone from a total disaster to a real life fairytale in less than twenty-four hours. Who would've guessed…

I climbed out of bed, recalling that my clothes and toiletries were still in the other room. I reluctantly left Edward's bedroom, making my way back to my own room. I gathered the courage to open the door that led to that gigantic walk-in closet, and I mindlessly stared at all the clothes that were surrounding me. For the first time in a long time I was seriously asking myself what I should wear. Normally, picking out an outfit wasn't a problem for me, seeing as I'd never had much to choose from. But thanks to Alice's shopping-outburst, things were different now. After deliberating for a good ten minutes, I decided on something casual; jeans with a simple dark-blue blouse.

I figured that a shower would be nice as well, and so my next stop was the bathroom. Needless to say, the shower was much bigger than the one I'd been used to at my old home, and Alice had made sure that it was stacked with shower gel, shampoo, and several other hair products.

I showered, brushed my teeth, and put on the outfit I had picked out. What an unusual morning… On a regular Sunday, my schedule would be filled with chores, not to mention Lauren's homework. Not today, though. This would be the most relaxing Sunday in eight long, tiring years.

As I darted down the stairs, the smell of pancakes welcomed me. I went to the kitchen, to find both Edward and Alice. Edward was working on the pancakes, and Alice was sitting at the breakfast bar, reading some girly fashion magazine.

"Good morning!" I cheerfully greeted Alice.

She didn't disappoint, smiling enthusiastically at me when she noticed my presence.

"Good morning to you, too! That blouse looks great on you, just like I knew it would." She said, clearly pleased with herself.

"Alice is right, you look stunning, love." Edward remarked as he looked up at me.

I blushed, naturally. "Thanks."

"Did you sleep well?" Alice asked, suggestively wiggling her eyebrows.

A groan escaped me; obviously there were no secrets in this house. I scowled at Edward, but he didn't look at me. Instead he was pretending to be very busy with the pancakes.

I composed myself and answered her question. "I slept very well, thank you."

"That was to be expected." She teased me some more.

I stuck out my tongue at her but didn't say anything as I sat down across from her.

"Where's Emmett, by the way?" I asked, wondering why the oldest Cullen brother hadn't made an appearance yet.

Alice laughed as if I had just told some hilarious joke. "Are you kidding? It's Sunday morning, and it's only half past ten. He won't join the land of the living until it's at least one pm."

"Ah, he likes to sleep in." I stated the obvious.

Edward snickered from his place at the stove. "That's an understatement. I believe his current record stands at sleeping for twenty-two hours straight."

I laughed and shook my head. That sounded like a very Emmett-thing.

My eyes were mostly fixed on Edward as he finished our food, and when he was done he placed the plate with pancakes on the breakfast bar.

"I think I've learned to cook something new today! They don't look half bad, if I say so myself." He announced proudly.

"Kudos to you, brother dear." Alice praised him, throwing her magazine aside and attacking the pancakes.

"I think you've found your new purpose in life." I joked as I followed Alice's example, also scooping a pancake onto my plate.

"Very funny." Edward said, acting insulted as he sat down next to me. "I'm trying here!"

"And I'm very proud of you, baby. I was just teasing you." I assured him, lightly pressing a kiss against his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled mockingly.

I took a bite, concluding that the pancakes tasted as good as they smelled. Edward had definitely done a good job. Just as I was about to pop the second piece of pancake into my mouth, the phone rang.

Edward let out a frustrated sigh, but got up to answer it. He took the phone in the kitchen, and so I mindlessly watched him as he picked up.

"Hello?" He said, his voice neutral despite his irritation.

I studied his face as I played with my fork, and it rapidly turned from mildly irritated to angry. He clenched his jaw, and when he saw that I was looking at him, he pressed his lips into a hard line. And then he mouthed the one word at me that I didn't want to hear right now. _'Regina'_.

He put the phone on speaker, placing his finger against his lips as a sign that I had to keep quiet. Regina's voice filled the spacious kitchen, and Alice made a sour face.

"Answer me! I know you're still there, boy! And I know she's with you! Give her back!" I could hear her angry rant, and I winced a little.

"Yes, I'm still here, and Bella is staying with me. In fact, she's _living_ with me now." Edward barked into the phone.

"The hell she is! She belongs with us, you'd better hand her over this instant!" Regina's nasal voice commanded.

"Belongs with you? She's eighteen, you have no right whatsoever to claim her as yours. If she wants to go back, that's her choice, but I highly doubt that that's the case here." Edward said dismissively, playfully rolling his eyes at me, then at his sister.

Alice pretended to vomit in the direction of the phone, and I smiled tentatively at Edward.

"I couldn't care less about your opinion! I want Isabella back here within now and fifteen minutes, or else…" Regina trailed off suggestively, not finishing her threat.

"Or else what?" Edward challenged her; he did nothing to hide his mocking tone.

"Or I will find another way to get her back, and it won't be pretty. Isabella has _fifteen minutes_ to get her ass back here!" She spat. "Fifteen minutes! Do you hear me! Fifteen minutes or things will end badly!"

"Whatever you say. Good luck with that." Edward said offhandedly before rudely hanging up on her.

I gaped at him. My heart was racing and my stomach was twisting and turning. This was bad news…

"Please don't freak out, sweetheart." He said as he sat down next to me again. He soothingly placed a hand on my back, anticipating the panic attack that was building up inside of me.

"He's right, ignore that bitch! What can she do, really? I doubt if she will even make it past Joe." Alice muttered, swallowing down the last bite of her pancake. "If you ask me, I wouldn't take her too seriously. She's annoying though, that's for sure. I mean, why does she want you to come back in the first place? She hates your guts!"

"Because she wants her slave back." Edward informed his sister in a bleak tone. "With Bella gone, there's no one to clean up the mess and cook dinner."

"No kidding." I mumbled gloomily.

Alice got up from her chair and dramatically dropped her plate in the sink. "Heartless bitch… Well, I'm going to take a long, relaxing bath, kids. If Botox-Barbie causes any more trouble, let me know and I'll be there to help."

"Thanks, Alice." I said, giving her a grateful smile.

"Anytime." She called before she bounced out of the kitchen in her usual, chipper way.

I dejectedly dropped my fork onto my plate, not feeling hungry anymore all of the sudden. I gazed out of the window over the sink, mentally scolding myself because I had been so naïve. For a moment, I had actually believed that Regina would give up without a fight. How could I've been so stupid? Things were never easy like that, I had to know that by now.

"Please Bella, calm down. I won't let her harm you, you know that." Edward interrupted my musings, wrapping both his arms around me in a protective way.

"I know… But regardless, she could hurt _you_… Or Alice, or Emmett… God knows what her plan is!"

"Breathe, Bella." Edward said sternly, gazing intently at me, his eyes boring into mine. "Listen to me. _Nothing _bad will happen, alright?"

I followed his advice, taking a deep, exaggerated breath. "Maybe you're right…" I muttered quietly.

He smiled at me. "There now. Just stay calm, there's no point in stressing yourself out about things that haven't even happened yet."

"I know…" I mumbled. "I'm being ridiculous."

"No, you're not. Those freaks have traumatized you, you have every right to be on edge."

Edward leaned closer and tightened his arms around me, giving me a comforting hug. I rested my head against his shoulder as he started to stroke through my half-dry hair. We stayed like that for a long moment, until Edward was the one pulling back.

"You've barely touched your food. You need to eat, Bella." He remarked, nodding at my untouched pancake.

"I'm not hungry anymore."

Edward sighed. "Yes, you are. All you need is a little encouragement."

I gave him a skeptic frown. "What are you saying?"

He didn't answer me, but the hint of a smile was around his lips as he picked up my fork, spearing the piece of pancake that I had dropped earlier. My frown stayed in place as he brought the fork up to my mouth, arching an eyebrow at me.

"Open up, you stubborn girl." He ordered mildly.

"You're seriously going to feed…" I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence, seeing as he used the opportunity to gently shove the fork into my mouth.

"Do you also need help with the chewing and swallowing?" He offered innocently.

"Ed-ward." I spluttered while I wrestled with the piece of pancake in my mouth.

He chuckled as he watched me struggle, humor in his eyes.

"That's not fair!" I objected once I had swallowed down the food.

"I thought it was funny, as well as effective. Let's do it again." Edward said, feigning a cheerful tone.

Apparently he meant it, for he scooped another piece of pancake onto the fork and held it up in front of my mouth.

"Open that pretty mouth of yours." He commanded in a low, seductive voice.

Oh my, how could I refuse when he talked like _that?_ I willingly opened my mouth this time, and again he placed the fork against my lips. I obediently ate the second piece of pancake, chewing slowly as his intense stare never left my face.

"You know, I've been told that it tastes even better when you close your eyes while tasting." Edward said casually. "Why don't we try it?" He added, holding the fork in front of my face again.

"Really?" I asked, not truly believing him, but curious where he was going with this.

"Really." He was all but whispering now, and he slowly swayed the piece of pancake in front of me, as if he was using it to hypnotize me.

I played along, closing my eyes and waiting for him to smear the pancake across my face, or something equally gross that he probably had in mind. That didn't happen. All I felt was how his smooth, warm lips lightly brushed against mine. My heart fluttered, and for a second Regina was the last thing on my mind. I moved my lips against his, but he teasingly pulled back. I opened my eyes and huffed in frustration.

"You're mean! But I can't deny that you taste much better than the pancakes." I blurted out, unable to stop the words from spilling out.

"I'm flattered, love. I'll take that as a compliment… Unless you're offending my cooking skills, that is."

I giggled. "I would never do that. The pancakes are good! You're simply better."

He continued to feed me, and before I knew it, I had almost finished the entire pancake.

"Excellent, good girl." Edward complimented me with a smirk as he watched me swallow the last bite. "And see, nothing happened! Thirty minutes have passed since Regina called, you didn't go back, and still the world didn't cease to exist."

"Well what do you know." I replied dryly. "Thanks for that, I think."

I swiftly kissed him on the cheek, and then I got up to clear the breakfast bar, placing our dishes in the sink and turning on the faucet.

"Wait! No working for you! That includes doing the dishes." Edward warned, also getting up from his chair.

I ignored his protests. "You did the cooking, Edward. It's only fair if I do the dishes. I don't mind, I can use some distraction."

"Oh… Then should I help?" He asked, defeat evident in his voice.

"I can handle it, it's not that much. Why don't you take a shower, get dressed… Stuff like that."

"Is that a hint?" He asked, grinning at me.

"Not really… The whole just-got-out-of-bed-look looks yummy on you. You can totally pull it off." I said jokingly, turning my attention back to the dishes.

I sensed how he came to stand behind me, his arms snaking around my waist and pulling me against his chest. I placed my hands over his, and he rested his head on my shoulder, turning his face to gently kiss the side of my neck.

"You're one amazing woman." He murmured against my skin. "I'll be back soon."

There was another soft, lingering kiss against my neck, after which he released me and left the kitchen.

I tried to focus on the dishes, but Regina was creeping back into my thoughts now that I was alone. Despite Edward's many attempts to calm me down, I still had a dark suspicion that the witch was up to something. The silence around me wasn't helping one bit… Out of nowhere, I felt like someone was watching me… I instinctively glanced out of the window over the sink, seeing nothing, of course. Jeez, I had to stop this, I was going all paranoid here!

_Dishes, dishes, dishes,_ I chanted in my head. _You're doing the dishes, Bella. Stop thinking about scary stepmothers._ I washed and rinsed, ignoring the eerie feeling that kept nagging me. Just as I moved on to the drying, I was startled by the sound of the kitchen door swinging open. I turned around, half expecting to see Edward, even though I knew he couldn't possibly have showered _that_ fast…

My breathing stopped, and I think my heart did the same. There she was, standing in the doorway. Regina, completely dressed in pink, her face an infuriated mask. She was covered in leaves and dirt, evidence that she had taken a detour to avoid Joe. Lauren appeared beside her, her hair and outfit also covered in leaves. They both glared at me as if I were nothing but a piece of gum, stuck to the underside of their high-heeled shoes.

Regina smiled evilly at me before she spoke. "I warned you. Your fifteen minutes are up, Isabella…"

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_Thanks for reading, new update as soon as I have time to write! :D Uh oh, that was another cliffhanger… I'm going back to my secret cave now. :p I promise that this is the last cliffhanger, by the way. I just had to do one more, you know, for closure's sake. :p_


	25. Burning The Witch

_Hey guys! :D_

_Wow, lots of reviews. xD Thank you so much; _**Parkerstwilight, Mrs. M Cullen, Lisa, Han1212, Gabriels-girl5035, Littlemissmousie96, Thari, Temporaryinsanity91, Paramore luver, Madeliefje, XxBaby. BooxX, Lizzie, Sparkle. love, Rosaa, Miss F Cullen, Movies2560, x-Taiiwo-x, Vanessa James, BellaCullenSwan17, Sky Dragon155, Beckyisavampire, Cullenbaby94, Kselzer, 1mooncalled, Fairytale92, Otme0701, Quinstar, AutumnDannie, CrazyGirlFromAsylum, Kris, Et1141412, Rocker1901, TrueOutcast, Mouse555, Razmataz13drums, Spooky Pumpkin, Bella'Swan'22, Kammi93, Sunrise-Sophiiee, Mcutie, Twifanforever460, Cnelson, Vampiregirlsrule, TwihardJonas, Fly, Sara Lautner, Marijne, Madeofawesome22, Lizzy, CandyCornXOXO, Beaandmarco**_, _**Sunshine72, xostaybeautiful, Nicole1962, Sprinter1, xxLittle-Miss-Imoniexx, Rubi101, Cullen4life1996, EJ Masen SARW, Layla James **_and_** Y. cant. i. be. invisible!**_ You people are awesomesauce! :D_

_I once again apologize for not replying to all of you, but I could either send out emails or I could, you know, write. xD _

_To Mrs. M Cullen: Lol, yes, hurt Regina all you want! ;)_

_To CrazyGirlFromAsylum: I wouldn't say crazy, your plan sounds like a good one to me! :p_

_To Mouse555: Yes, white sounds about right! :D And Edward in black, of course. :p_

_To Bella'Swan'22: Sure, you can have a Super!Edward. :p And I'm so not telling you where my secret cave is! :O That would totally undermine the secret-part. :p_

_To Fly: Lol, alright, in an attempt to save my own butt, I'm giving you a shower-Edward! :p_

_To Marijne: Sure! :D One digital Alice, coming up! And thanks for inviting me! :p_

_To Madeofawesome22: Hmm, yeah. Regina could definitely use some lessons in evil-laughs. :p_

_To Beaandmarco: Oh god, you're tempting me! :O If anything can get me out of the cave, it's a charming Edward with chocolates and flowers. :p_

_To EJ Masen SARW: Why did I pick the name Regina, that is a very good question, I have to think about that for a moment… :p I don't know anyone named Regina, so that's not it. I guess that I was indeed looking for a name that, in my opinion, had a nasty ring to it, like you mentioned. xD Mind you, Regina's name has changed several times before I uploaded the first chapters of this story. I had some other names but they didn't quite fit the character. I kept changing it, and then finally, I decided on Regina. It was just a feeling, most of all. xD _

_To Y. cant. i. be. invisible: Lol, your review was awesome! xD_

_Okay, new chapter, enjoy! And yes, I do swear that there won't be any more cliffhangers. :p_

_

* * *

_

**Burning The Witch**

Regina and Lauren were both glaring daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would've been dead and buried by now.

"You people really need to learn to lock that back door." Lauren said mockingly, ending the brief silence.

A thousand different emotions were running through me as I glared back at my disgusting stepfamily, their faces smug. It started with fear and panic, but those two faded soon, while both anger and hate became more prominent. I wasn't one to hold grudges, or to truly hate someone with all my heart, but they were my one exception. There weren't even enough words in the English language to express how much I loathed them.

"You're coming with us!" Regina's harsh command dragged me away from my thoughts.

She moved further into the kitchen, taking several steps in my direction, Lauren hot on her heels.

"No, I'm not." I replied in a stern tone, successfully hiding the last, tiny fragment of fear that was left in my system. "In fact, I'm going to call Joe if you don't leave this instant."

I made a move to pick up the phone, which was lying on the breakfast bar, but Regina stopped me.

"No! I wouldn't do that if I were you! You're not going to call that bald monkey after all the trouble I went through to avoid him." She yelled warningly at me.

"Give me one good reason why not." I challenged her, my hand hovering over the phone.

I felt braver with each word, even though there were two of them and only one of me. After all, I could scream, kick and hit, so I decided that no matter what happened, I wouldn't go down without a fight. With some luck, one of the Cullens would hear that something was going on, and come to my rescue.

Regina didn't answer me right away, but started to search the small, pink handbag that she was carrying for something. I frowned as I watched her, and Lauren smirked at me, probably already knowing what her mother was up to. I didn't wait for her to do whatever the hell she had in mind, and I snatched the phone from the bar.

"Put that phone down!" Regina snapped, at the same time pulling something out of her hideous handbag in a swift motion, but not fast enough for me to miss what it was.

I gasped and stared at the gun that she was pointing directly at me. I immediately recognized the weapon, seeing as it had been Charlie's… My heartbeat turned up a notch, and breathing became difficult. A gun, that was something I couldn't compete with…

"Put it down, or I'll shoot your pretty head off." Regina repeated, her voice low but threatening as she glowered at me.

I obeyed, hesitantly placing the phone back on the breakfast bar, my hand trembling like crazy.

"You just wait until Edward finds out. He's upstairs, he could be back any minute." I responded pathetically, knowing that it was an empty threat; Edward also couldn't compete with a gun.

"Oh, I'm scared now! Your boyfriend can't save you now." Regina barked. "This fairytale life of yours has lasted long enough, I'm going to put an end to all this nonsense. You're coming back with us, and that's final."

"Why?" I blurted out, genuinely interested to hear why she was so desperate to get me back.

Lauren answered before Regina could do it herself. "Because we need someone to cook and clean, doh! Are you really _that_ stupid?"

"So get a maid! You both hate my guts! Be thankful that I finally left, and simply hire someone to do your dirty work!" I retorted incredulously, still in the dark, not understanding what they needed _me_ for.

"Hiring someone costs _money_." Regina snapped.

"So what? You've got plenty!" I argued.

My new tactic was to keep her talking in order to win some time, in hopes that Edward or Alice would be back soon.

"No, we don't." Lauren sourly corrected me.

"Shut up, Lauren! That's no one's business." Regina reprimanded her daughter.

I gave my stepsister a puzzled look, my curiosity giving me the courage to ignore Regina for a second. "What are you talking about?" I probed, addressing Lauren.

"We're nearly broke!" Lauren spat out despite her mother's warning. "We can't afford a maid! Hell, within now and two weeks we won't even have any money left to buy regular groceries! Let alone designer clothes! Can you even imagine the horrible situation we are in!"

"Enough, Lauren!" Regina barked, ending Lauren's displeased rant. "I wasn't the only one spending money like water these last years!"

She hissed some other things at her daughter, never taking the gun away from me, but I wasn't paying attention anymore. It started to occur to me what Lauren was complaining about… It seemed that they had already spent the enormous amount of money that they had inherited from Regina's first husband. If Lauren was telling the truth, it was all gone. Spent on clothes, cars and countless trips to the beauty salon.

I could see their problem now; one of them would have to find a _job_. And even then, they would have to live as _average_ people. They were broke, and on top of that, they had lost their free slave. I could understand now that wanting me back was merely a last, desperate try to preserve a tiny part of their luxurious lives; If everything was lost, at least there would still be a free employee to clean up their mess.

"You! Stop staring like an idiot and come with us." Regina commanded unexpectedly, waving the gun at me as a sign that she wanted me to move.

Disobeying someone who was holding a gun didn't sound like a very smart plan to me, and I reluctantly stepped away from the sink, towards Regina and Lauren. They were standing in the middle of the kitchen, next to the breakfast bar, and they slowly did a step backwards as I moved closer, moving in the direction of the door. Regina was about to open it, but was stopped when Edward suddenly barged through the door. His expression turned infuriated as he observed that we had a serious problem…

"Edward!" I breathed in both relief and horror.

Relief because, for some reason, I automatically started to calm down as soon as I saw his flawless face. Horror because Edward was the most important thing to me ever, and I was terrified that the witches would try to hurt him.

"Bella?" He spoke my name with a mixture of confusion and panic.

"Don't move, boy! Stay where you are!" Regina warned him, briefly directing the gun at him instead of me.

She repositioned herself, dragging her daughter along so they were both standing between me and Edward, keeping us apart. Regina nervously glanced at me, then at him. She kept moving the gun back and forth, seemingly unable to decide whether to point it at me or at Edward.

"Are you kidding me? Get the hell out of my house! What is going on here?" Edward demanded as he glared at Regina, his usually alluring voice nothing more than a low growl.

"We're here to collect Isabella. Don't worry, we'll leave you alone after this. We don't want anything to do with you, we simply came to take what's ours." Regina answered Edward, her tone indifferent.

"Not a chance in hell!" He hissed at her. "Bella's staying here, with me. I'm calling security."

"Are you sure about that? You wouldn't want your little princess to get hurt." Lauren suddenly interjected tauntingly, demonstratively waving her hand at the gun that Regina was holding.

Regina nodded, smiling approvingly at Lauren; their previous argument seemed forgotten. "That's right! So step aside, you stuck-up movie star, or your little girlfriend here is toast. Let us through!"

She waved the gun at him to create an escape route, motioning for him to step away from the door. Her free hand suddenly grabbed my wrist, and she started to pull me along.

"It's fine, Edward. Do as she says." I told him reluctantly, my mouth dry and my voice thick.

The last thing I wanted was to move back in with the witches, but there were lives at stake here, including the most important life in the world as far as I was concerned; Edward's.

"I can't let them take you, Bella!" He protested, his emerald eyes filled with horror.

"And I can't let her shoot you!" I stubbornly countered. "Move, Edward."

"You'd better listen to her." Regina hinted; I could hear that she was getting impatient.

I nodded encouragingly at Edward, who seemed overcome with anger and rage. "Please." I whispered.

He sighed deeply, but did one small step away from the door.

"This won't end here. Don't be afraid, Bella. We'll fix this. _I_ will fix this. I promised to keep you safe and I don't intent on breaking that promise. You'll be back here before you even know it." He said, completely ignoring the fact that my scary stepmother could hear every word.

Regina dismissively rolled her eyes at him. "I don't think so, Cullen. We won't make the same mistake twice. We'll be more careful this time, she won't be able to escape. And let me tell you something else…"

Regina didn't get a chance to finish her little speech, for without a warning, the door smacked open and Emmett waltzed into the room.

"Yo, little brother, I smelled the pancakes, do you…" He began when he noticed Edward, totally oblivious. But then he glanced around the room and spotted Regina.

Both Regina and Lauren gaped at him, obviously shocked by the huge, bulky person that was Emmett Cullen. Due to his goodhearted attitude towards me, I had always thought of him as a friendly big brother, but I could easily imagine that outsiders might find him intimidating, or scary even. Regina didn't speak nor did she point her gun at him. She even lowered it slightly in a moment of distraction, and she looked baffled. Her grip on my wrist loosened a little as she looked Emmett up and down. Lauren let out a whimpering sound and cowered into her mother's side.

"Holy crap!" Emmett exclaimed in his familiar, booming voice once he gathered that something wasn't right. "Edward, bro! There's an ugly-looking woman with a gun standing in your kitchen! I assume you didn't invite her over for tea?" He questioned in his typical, blunt manner, not caring that Regina was right there.

"Not exactly, no." Edward uttered nearly inaudibly, quirking an eyebrow at his brother as if they were silently communicating something.

Their quiet exchange was short, and when it ended Emmett looked at me for the first time, winking reassuringly. "Watch out, Bells. Stand back, please." He cautioned cheerfully.

Before my brain could even process what he was about to do, he launched himself at Regina. She was stunned, not expecting that, and her hand released my wrist. She didn't even have time to think about the gun in her hand, let alone use it. She looked horrorstruck, and she let out a high-pitched shriek, causing me to shudder. I hastily did a few steps back, like Emmett had instructed, not asking him why.

If it weren't for the tricky situation we were in, I would've laughed at Emmett's next move, for he not-so-gently tackled Regina, forcing her to the kitchen floor with his full weight. All the while, Lauren was screaming like an extra in some low-budget scary movie.

"Let go off my mother, you big buffoon!" She yelled at Emmett.

Regina dropped the gun in the process, and it crashed to the ground with a loud 'thud', landing at Edward's feet. He picked it up, gazing impassively at it for a moment, and then pointing it at Lauren.

"No stupid moves to help your mother. It might hurt a little if I have to use this to stop you." He said coldly.

Lauren stared at him, wide eyed. It was plain to see that her crush on him was close to gone by now. "You're really, _really_ mean, Edward Cullen." She muttered croakily.

Her whole body was trembling, and she slowly sank to the ground, sitting down next to her beloved mother.

Edward swiftly walked up to the breakfast bar and picked up the phone. He dialed a number without thinking, and seconds later I heard how he was urgently talking to Joe. I could only hear parts of the conversation, since Regina was loudly throwing curse-words and pointless threats at Emmett.

Emmett however, smiled serenely and made himself comfortable, sitting on Regina's knees, probably cutting off her circulation. He kept her arms pinned to the floor, and looked up at me, grinning boyishly.

"I think the danger's gone." He announced jokingly in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

"No kidding. That was the most brilliant action I've ever witnessed." I complimented him, producing a shaky laugh as my breathing slowly started to calm down.

He shrugged casually. "She wasn't invited, that's what happens to trespassers when I'm around."

I snorted, disapprovingly shaking my head in Regina's direction. "Still, that took some courage. She had a gun, for crying out loud! You rock, Emmett."

"Oh, shut up, you stupid cow!" Regina snapped at me from underneath Emmett.

Emmett roughly squeezed her wrists in response, and she yelped.

Again I had to stop myself from laughing. Regina lying on the floor with Emmett sitting on top of her was a rather funny sight. I heard how Edward said a goodbye to Joe, and a split second later he was at my side, tightly wrapping his arms around me.

"I'm so, so sorry, love. I shouldn't have left you alone." He started to apologize right away, but I quickly shut him up, placing my hand over his mouth.

"It's not your fault, don't blame yourself, Edward." I pleaded, earnestly gazing into his eyes. "Everything's fine now."

He sighed, slowly letting go of me, seeing as he still had to keep an eye on Lauren. "I guess so, but still, I should've been there to protect you. God knows what would've happened if Emmett and I hadn't…"

"But it didn't." I interrupted him again. "Let's not dwell on what could've happened."

Edward grimaced. "You're taking it so lightly, it's unnatural. But you're right, it could've been worse."

"Exactly. So is Joe on his way?" I changed the subject to distract him.

"Yes, he could be here any second now. He has already contacted the police, this is out of our hands. And let me tell you, things aren't looking good for those two." He said, gesturing at Regina and Lauren, his tone lighter now.

"What are you talking about, boy?" Regina hissed, glancing up at Edward.

"You're seriously asking me that? How about abusing your stepdaughter for over eight years, locking her up in an attic, breaking and entering… And then I haven't even mentioned that you threatened to kill us, just now!" Edward stated flatly.

"You kidnapped my stepdaughter!" Regina spat at him.

"She is here out of free will! You're in big trouble, and I'm not just talking about that little stunt you pulled today, I'm talking about the past _eight years_. I'm going to contact my lawyer and make sure that you're going to pay for _everything_ you did to make Bella suffer."

"Cool, you're going to end up in jail! Say hi to our cousin Steve, he's in there, too. He robbed a bank, but other than that he's a pretty awesome dude." Emmett mused.

Regina directed a dirty scowl at Edward. "You wouldn't! You'll regret it! And so will Isabella!"

"The only one regretting things will be _you_. Can't get your hair and nails done every two days when you are in jail." I pointed out, smiling sweetly at Regina.

She let out a defeated groan, and as if on cue, Emmett, Edward and I simultaneously started to laugh.

A few heartbeats later Joe stormed into the kitchen, accompanied by two police officers. Needless to say, Regina and Lauren got arrested, both of them protesting loudly as they were dragged out of the kitchen. Joe followed to open the gate, and Emmett, Edward and I enjoyed every second of the show.

"You're going to be very, very sorry!" Were the last words I heard from Regina before her nasal voice faded as she was removed from the house.

"Keep telling yourself that." I murmured to no one in particular.

Edward chuckled. "She deserves an award when it comes to being delusional."

"For what it's worth, she made this Sunday considerably less boring." Emmett said, seeing the sunny side, as usual.

"That she did, although I do hope that this was the last time." I admitted.

Emmett shrugged. "If she ever comes back, I'll just sit on her again. Anyway, are there any pancakes left, folks?"

Edward shook his head, but smiled at his brother. "No, but you know what? I'll bake you new ones."

"And I'll help." I volunteered. "Making you some fresh pancakes is the least I can do for you, as a reward for defeating the wicked witch, I mean. You totally saved the day, Em!"

He smiled brightly at me. "Anytime, sis. The pleasure was all mine…"

xxx

"Oh snap, I still can't believe I missed all the action! Talking about bad timing." Alice said disappointedly, pouting a little.

"Yeah, you should've seen Regina's face when Emmett tackled her." Edward said, smiling at the memory.

"Or when Edward told her that he was going to sue her." Emmett added, grinning.

The four of us were hanging in front of the TV in the living room, where we had just shared this morning's events with Alice who had missed the whole thing. I shared a couch with Edward, sitting unnecessarily close to him, and Emmett and Alice were sitting on the couch across from us.

"Ah well, it was also sort of frightening, maybe you should be thankful that you weren't there." I told Alice.

"Perhaps, but it's such a bummer that I didn't get to see their faces when the cops dragged them out of the house. I can imagine that you were scared to death, though. Someone pointing a gun at your face must be a terrifying experience." She replied, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"Yes, nightmares are guaranteed tonight." I said, feigning a cheery tone.

"Of course not, love. I'll sing them away." Edward softly murmured next to my ear.

I shivered, cuddling even closer to him and smiling contentedly. Every time I thought he couldn't get any more cute, he proved me wrong.

"Gross, dude, you are so cheesy." Emmett made a disgusted face at Edward as he got up from the couch.

"He's not cheesy, it's sweet!" I objected.

Emmett snickered, shaking his head at me. "I'm afraid that you're a bit biased, Bella. I'm out of here."

"Yeah, I'm with you. Let's give our lovebirds some privacy." Alice said, also getting up.

Edward glared at his siblings as they noisily stumbled out of the room, already discussing some plans to clean out the garage this afternoon. Once they were out of sight I eagerly crawled into Edward's lap, snuggling against his chest, making myself comfortable.

"Oh god, they're right, aren't they? I _am_ cheesy." Edward sighed dramatically, draping his arms around me.

A small giggle escaped me. "I wouldn't say cheesy… Okay, maybe a _little_ cheesy. But that's alright, because you are one of those rare people who make cheesiness work, Edward."

"Was that an insult or a compliment?" He murmured, his face was so close that his lips were skimming against my cheek as he spoke.

I grinned innocently at him. "Compliment. I love it, so that makes it a good thing."

He kissed the corner of my mouth, and I briefly closed my eyes. "You're more than I deserve." He whispered, gently putting a stray lock of hair behind my ear with a light touch.

"I still think it's the other way around." I said, bringing one of my hands up to his face to lightly trace his perfect features with my fingertips.

"Yes, because you don't see me clearly, you silly girl."

"No, I'm serious… Thanks for everything, Edward. And thanks for, you know, paying for an abnormally expensive lawyer to put them behind bars for an even longer time." I blushed as I said the last part, not truly happy with the fact that once again, he had to pay a ridiculous amount of money to fix my problems.

"You're more than welcome. It's for a very good cause." He said, smiling crookedly.

He took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers and lovingly placing a kiss on my knuckles.

"Good cause, indeed. May they rot in jail… I just wish I could pay you back."

"You can." Was his immediate reply.

"Really? How?" I asked.

He smirked, his green eyes sparkling mischievously as he leaned closer to me, his lips no more than an inch away from mine. "I'll make you a special price, one that's going to be highly enjoyable for me as well… You can repay your debt in kisses instead of dollars, my beautiful Bella…"

My heart did some joyful flips at his words, and I didn't waste a moment, enthusiastically crushing my lips to his. No point in denying that I was beyond excited to repay him, preferably with interest…

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_Thank you for reading! :D I'll upload the next chapter as soon as I can!_


	26. Real Life Fairytale

_Hey guys! :D_

_Thanks for all the amazing reviews;_ **Sky Dragon155, Littlemissmousie96, XxBaby. BooxX, Layla James, Mouse555, MissGCullen, Parkerstwilight, Mrs. M Cullen, LexiLeothegreat909, Vampiregirlsrule, Madeliefje, Y. cant. i. be. invisible, 1mooncalled, Fly, Cullenbaby94, Han1212, CrazyGirlFromAsylum, Kris, Et1141412, xXSakuraBlossomsXx, Paramore luver, CandyCornXOXO, Cnelson, Uriah cullen, Sara Lautner, Thari, AutumnDannie, Otme0701, Bella'Swan'22, Lisa, Twifanforever460, Cullen4life1994, Sprinter1, TwihardJonas, Rubi, Temporaryinsanity91, Madeofawesome22, Bec, Beaandmarco, Fairytale92, Rosaa, OmTrOcKiT1o1, JennLD, Natters999, Baylee1997, Catch Me Salvatore **_and_** -myPEN!** _Virtual hugs for everyone! :D_

_To Littlemissmousie96: Lol yeah, Regina might have some serious injuries now. :p_

_To Lexi: Yep, they're definitely going to jail. :p_

_To Madeliefje: Nope, there won't be a meet-the-parents-scene in this story. It will be mentioned in the last chapter, but you won't actually get to see it. ;)_

_To Y. cant. i. be. invisible: Ouch, hope your foot is feeling better! :O Here's a free, digital Emmett for you, to ease the pain! ;)_

_To Paramore luver: That was a very creative review! :D And don't we all love Edward. ;)_

_To Bella'Swan'22: I know, failfiction does that all the time! xD I'll just imagine the Y's and A's then. :p Still loved your reviews, though! Thanks so much for all the sweet words and compliments, that was totally the good kind of cheesy! :D And thank you for the Edward! :D Sure, you can have one in return. ;)_

_To Madeofawesome22: Oh my god, I know what you mean, we've got a similar kind of show here in the Netherlands! xD _

_To JennLD: No, the hidden- will-thing won't be in it, seeing as that would be a total Cinderella Story rip off, and I'm trying to prevent that. ;)_

_To Catch Me Salvatore: Oh god you're right! I didn't think about that, but that's one nasty Regina. xD_

_And then, some other frequently asked questions: __**How long will the story be? Is it going to end now? How many chapters are left?**_

_Like most of you already guessed, this story is coming to an end, seeing as we've almost reached the happily ever after. ;) After today's chapter there's __**one more chapter**__ left. I will upload it as soon as I can. I'm going to warn you guys that I'm very busy this week, though. But I do promise that the last part will be up within now and a week, so stay tuned! :D_

_Also, the rest will be fluff, etc. The drama is over. :p Today, Edward is going to tell Bella a fairytale. xD Enjoy!_

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**Real Life Fairytale**

Another Monday, just like there had been so many before. Angela and I were strolling the halls of Forks High, on our way to the cafeteria to have lunch. So far, this day had been nothing but surreal, to say the least. It was like a whole new reality, because this time, _Lauren_ was the one about whom people were talking. Not me, but my freaky stepsister was the topic of gossip today.

In a city as small as Forks, it didn't take long for a rumor to spread. Literally _everyone_ had heard about how Regina and Lauren had gotten arrested yesterday. Needless to say, there were at least ten different versions of the story going around, but each version included me, Edward and the evil stepfamily.

Throughout my first four classes, various people had eyed me curiously, but no one had actually dared to ask me which story was the most accurate. That was fine with me, at this point I didn't really care what people believed about me. The only person who I had willingly given a detailed description of yesterday's events was Angela, and that was good enough for me.

"Oh my god!" Angela suddenly exclaimed, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Will you look at that!"

She pointed at the bulletin board, where a small group of students had gathered. Most of them were laughing, and I stood on my tiptoes so I could catch a glimpse of the source of all this commotion. The second I spotted the printed page that was the object of all the attention, I couldn't stop myself from laughing as well. It was a picture of Lauren, supposedly taken from one of the old yearbooks. Someone had been very creative with Photo Shop, seeing as this version of Lauren was wearing an orange jumpsuit. It was a funny contrast; the fake smile on her face staying firmly in place as if she enjoyed wearing the ugly piece of clothing.

Angela laughed with me, shaking her head. "Guess not many people were that fond of Lauren, after all. I think most of them only endured her so they wouldn't end up on her long list of victims."

"It does seem that way." I agreed, feeling somewhat smug at that realization.

We turned away from the poster, heading for the entrance of the lunchroom across the hall.

"I still can't believe they got arrested! And I still can't believe that you moved in with a movie star!" Angela gushed as we made our way to the food counter.

"I'm having some trouble believing it myself." I confessed. "When Edward took me home with him after the spring dance and I found that all my stuff was already there… I was completely stunned."

Angela grinned at me. "I bet you were. I already knew, by the way, that Edward would take you home that night."

"Oh… You guessed?" I asked in surprise.

"Not exactly. Edward told me, during our little dance." She explained.

I frowned at her, not completely able to hide my shock. "He seriously told you? But… he hardly even knows you! Men, that boy _has_ changed."

Angela shrugged nonchalantly. "We talked, and I told him that I thought it was great that he had dragged you along to the dance, but that I was extremely worried about what would happen once you got home. That's why he told me, to ease my mind."

"That was sort of nice of him. Maybe I _did_ change him for the better." I said, half awed, half joking.

"Are you kidding?" Angela said, laughing. "He is a wonderful guy! You're one lucky girl."

I nodded, smiling widely at her. "That I am. But so are you, Ben seems great! He was really nice when we talked."

Angela beamed at me. "Oh he is, he was so adorable when he brought me home after the dance. He kissed me, and he asked me on a second date right away!"

"Wow, that's so sweet! See, there was nothing to worry about, he adores you! I knew it!" I said enthusiastically.

We paid for our food, and we sat down at our regular table. Several people were still staring at me, but I wisely ignored them. After all, it were merely curious, eager-for-gossip stares, not the hateful glares that I was used to.

"So, what's it like, living with a famous actor in a dreamy mansion?" Angela asked conversationally as we both attacked our food.

"It's the best." I answered truthfully, a goofy grin spreading on my face. "It feels like I'm constantly living in a dream."

Angela smiled serenely. "It sounds perfect… If anyone deserves it, it's you."

"Don't make me blush." I warned, mockingly scowling at her. "But yes, it's perfect… Sometimes a little too perfect, maybe." I added warily.

Angela's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean by that?"

I shrugged. "Nothing… It's just, I feel a little guilty. I'm living in his house, he's paying for my food, my clothes… Everything. Of course I still do the cleaning, as a favor because I don't have money to pay for my stay, but it feels wrong."

"If you want my opinion, I don't think he minds. You're his everything, he made that pretty clear that night at the spring dance." Angela said quietly.

I sighed. "I know that, and I talked about it with him, the other night. He told me that he couldn't care less about the money, but still… I'm thinking about finding a new job so I can at least earn enough to pay for college, otherwise, I'm afraid he will pay for that as well."

"Hmm, if it makes you feel better, you should do it. But like I said, I don't think he cares." She assured me again.

I grimaced; she had no idea how right she was. "You're right, he doesn't. If he had his way, I would never work again in my life. He's convinced that I've already done enough sucky chores for a lifetime."

"And he's not completely wrong there. But hey, I'm sure if you decided to get a new job, he'll support you all the same." She said, no trace of doubt in her voice. "Which reminds me, I saw that they were looking for an employee at the local library."

"Really? The library… That doesn't sound bad at all..." I mused.

"That's what I thought, way better than cleaning." She said, winking at me.

"Definitely! As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to pay them a visit tomorrow. Thanks, Ang!"

She smiled warmly and reached across the table to pat my the back of my hand in a friendly gesture. "Anytime, Bells. Anytime."

xxx

Driving back home after school was an odd experience. I constantly had to remind myself that I had a new home to go back to now. Not that I minded, I felt euphoric as the familiar, white gate appeared on the left side of the road. Joe greeted me with a smile, and I brightly smiled back at him as he opened the gate.

When I reached the mansion, I was surprised to see that Edward was sitting on the porch steps, already waiting for me. An uneven smile lighted up his perfect face when he noticed my truck. It was a very welcoming sight, and I quickly parked my vehicle, clumsily stumbling out before all but running up to him. He smiled, highly amused, and I threw myself into his lap when I reached him.

"I've missed you, too." He joked, wrapping his arms around me and giving me a small peck on the lips.

"Look who's talking! You're the one who's desperately waiting for me at the front door!" I teased him back. "Or did Alice kick you out?"

"Actually, love, that's scarily close to the truth. She's preparing some special dinner for tonight, because she and Emmett are leaving tomorrow, seeing as their work here is done. I accidentally walked into the kitchen, and she shooed me with a spatula." He told me with a straight face.

I laughed at the mental image of Alice chasing after her brother while threateningly waving kitchen equipment at him. "I see, you've escaped the house to save yourself."

Edward nodded. "Oh yes, nothing as terrifying as Alice when she's on a mission."

I couldn't argue with that. "No kidding. So… Do you suppose it's safe to go back in there?" I asked, waving my hand in the general direction of the front door.

Edward seemed in thought for a second, but when he snapped out of it, an excited smile gradually formed on his face. "I'm not sure… But let's not take any risks, I know another nice, sister-free place where we can go…"

xxx

The meadow. The most beautiful place in the world, if you asked me. A place where it was easy to believe that fairytales _could_ be real. The round open space wasn't as sunny as the last time that Edward and I had been here, when we had stumbled upon it by accident, but the weather was nice enough. Every once in a while the sun would peak out from behind clouds, warming our faces.

My too-good-to-be-true boyfriend and I were sitting in the grass beside the small, bubbling stream. We were both gazing into the water, and I snuggled closer into his side. His grip around me tightened in response, and I felt how he gently kissed my hair.

"It's nice to be back here, that was a wonderful idea…" I said softly, smiling up at him.

I got a breathtaking, crooked smile in response. "I'm known for having good ideas every now and then." He joked.

I playfully rolled my eyes at him. "And so modest. But seriously, there's something about this place."

Edward grinned, his green eyes sparkling. "Oh, I know. This is where our first kiss took place, enough said."

I grinned back at him, but slowly shook my head. "That was the most perfect moment in my life, but it's not just that… I mean that it's _magical_… It feels like anything could happen here, like there's only a fine line between dreams and reality. If there even _exists _a place in this world where fairytales could come true, I'm certain that it's this meadow."

Oh, me and my big mouth. Why did I always blab out every silly thought that came to mind when I was with him? I half expected that he would laugh at me, but I was completely wrong. He leaned in to kiss the tip of my nose, and when he pulled back there was a contented smile on his face.

"You know what, you're right. Fairytales _do_ come true." He said seriously.

I frowned, skeptically raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you kidding? Is this cheesy-Edward, speaking?"

"That's not nice!" He accused, throwing me a fake glare.

His arms loosened around me, and then his hands started to tickle my sides. That evil cheater! He knew that I was far from immune when it came to tickling. He mercilessly continued, and I fell back into the grass, giggling uncontrollably.

"Ed-ward! Stop… it!" Was all I managed to choke out between giggles.

"Are you done making fun of me?" He asked sternly, using his irresistible emerald orbs to smolder me.

"Yes…" I breathed in defeat.

He smirked, ending his tickle-torturing and laying down next to me in the grass. I wrapped my arms around him, forcing him closer to me, and he complied, resting his head against my chest. The sun made a brief appearance, lighting up his tousled, bronze hair, and I couldn't resist the urge to touch it. I stroked through the messy locks, and he sighed in pleasure.

"You have no idea how good that feels." He whispered.

That was more than enough motivation for me to keep going.

"So… Were you joking about fairytales being real? You sounded so serious." I questioned casually.

"I _was_ being serious." He murmured.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Alright… Then tell me one fairytale that's real, no fiction." I challenged him. "And no jokes!" I warned.

He lifted his head, glancing up at me, his eyes a liquid green. "Easy enough, I can do that."

"Then bring it on." I pressed, my fingers still playing with his hair.

"Okay… Here it goes." He said, smiling sweetly at me. "Once upon a time, there was a girl. She was beautiful, smart and kind. Actually, she was nothing short of perfect, but unfortunately, her life was far from perfect. She had an awful stepfamily, and they treated her like their personal slave, making her life a hell on earth."

I opened my mouth to protest as soon as something clicked in my head. "That doesn't count! You're talking about me and…"

"Shh." He gently silenced me by placing one of his long pale fingers against my lips. "You said you wanted to hear the story, so listen."

I groaned but shut my mouth, like he requested.

"As if the girl's life wasn't already horrible enough, she lost her job at the local outdoor store. She was looking for a decent, new job, but instead she had to settle for working as a housekeeper. Apart from the fact that being a housekeeper isn't a very appealing job, her boss was a selfish, arrogant actor who was a complete and utter jerk to her. Like there weren't already enough people who were making her life miserable on a daily basis."

"Edward…" I sighed, hating how he made himself sound like a horrible person. That was the past, this was the here and now.

"I'm still talking." He mockingly silenced me again.

"Right." I pretended to lock my mouth with an invisible key.

"So, even though the actor was a downright pain in the ass, the beautiful girl was nothing but friendly and polite to him. Of course he knew that he didn't deserve her affection, but secretly he was glad that she was such a sweet and loving person, because he soon fell in love with her." He said, never breaking our eye contact.

One of his hands tenderly stroked my cheek, causing a large group of butterflies to throw a party in my stomach.

"I see… So what's the moral of this charming little story?" I asked, curious where he was going with this, seeing as the outcome wasn't much of a surprise anymore.

"Well you see, in most fairytales, it's the prince who has to save the princess…" He began.

I couldn't help but interrupt him again. "Yeah, that also was the case in this one."

He smiled and lightly shook his head, sitting up a little so he could bring his face level with mine. "That's where you are mistaken, sweetheart. What you're talking about is the obvious moral, but it's not the most important one."

"What are you talking about? Are you denying that the whole point is that you saved me from my freaky family?" I probed, his words confusing me.

"Yes." He said, his smile fading slowly. "You see, the girl didn't truly need saving."

"Hell yes, she did!" I blurted out.

"No, she didn't." He disagreed. "Let's say that the guy hadn't invited her to come and live with him… The girl was clever, and she had a solid backup plan; she was working very hard to save up money for college. She would've escaped her stepfamily eventually, even without his help. It merely would've been delayed a bit…"

"Maybe…" I mumbled, staring down at the grass that peacefully swayed in the breeze.

He placed his hand under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes were filled with sincerity when he spoke again. "You see, what I'm trying to tell you, is that _you_ are the real hero in this story."

I laughed a loud, empty laugh. "Me? Don't be ridiculous."

He leaned impossibly closer to me, his warm breath washing over my face while at the same time, his perfect nose was caressing mine.

"Think about it, Bella. What would've happened if the intriguing, beautiful girl hadn't knocked on the spoiled actor's door? He would probably still be bitter, stuck up, and unhappy with his luxurious but hollow movie star-life. _She_ saved _him_, not the other way around." He explained patiently.

I could only blink, dazzled by his words, as well as the lack of distance between us. This was so like him. Always turning things around in a way that made _me_ look good. Always trying to convince me that _I _was the special one, even when it was crystal-clear that _he_ was the rightful owner of that title.

"You're still my hero, and there's nothing you can say to change that." I whispered against his lips.

Edward rolled his eyes, but I could tell that he was amused. "Stubborn as ever, my beautiful Bella."

"You know what, let's just say that we saved _each other_." I tried for a compromise.

"I think I can live with that." He mused.

His serious expression swiftly turned into a bright smile, and I was pretty sure that my smile was as wide as his. And then he unexpectedly closed the gap between us, touching his lips to mine in a gentle, hesitant way. I smiled against his lips, and gently kissed him back, softly brushing my lips against his. The kiss soon became more intense, Edward's lips getting more urgent. I didn't mind at all, throwing my arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. My breathing hitched as I tasted the alluring, familiar taste that never failed to make my head swim. His hands tangled in my hair, keeping me in place to make sure that I couldn't escape his hungry lips.

We didn't part until we both needed some time to calm down our misbehaving hearts. He rested his forehead against mine, one of his hands repeatedly stroking through my hair.

"That was kind of nice…" I said teasingly, nuzzling my nose against his.

Edward leaned back a little and pouted, a very convincing attempt at being cute. "That's it? Kind of nice?"

"I'm teasing you, grumpy. It wasn't just nice, it was more like amazing." I assured him, planting a small kiss on his pouty lips.

"Want to do it again?" He proposed, smiling smugly and wiggling his eyebrows at me.

I beamed at him. "Sure, if you kiss me like that, you're welcome to do it for the rest of eternity."

"That's a long time…" He murmured, his green eyes gazing deeply into mine. "But an eternity sounds perfect to me."

"Good, because I'll never let you go." I informed him in a warning tone.

"I never _want _you to let me go." He whispered. "That wouldn't be much of a happy ending."

"Oh yes, of course, everything for the happy ending." I said, smirking at him.

"Exactly." He purred. "So, now that we agree on that, let's move on to that kiss."

He wrapped his arms around me again, pulling me closer, and I closed my eyes in anticipation. Happy ending indeed…. After all, what could be better than spending a lifetime with Edward Cullen?

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_Thank you so much for reading! The last chapter will be up within now and a week! :D_


	27. Epilogue

_Hey everyone! :D_

_Thank you for all the great reviews; _**Mrs. M Cullen, Cullenbaby94, Sparkle. love, EJ Masen SARW, Parkerstwilight, Baylee1997, Lil miss bella cullen, AutumnDannie, Et1141412, xoxoSUMMER RAINExoxo, Cullen4life1996, Thari, Beckyisavampire, Bella'Swan'22, Cnelson, 1mooncalled, Fly, TwihardJonas, Me and Balou, Beaandmarco, Mouse555, MeganMarieCullen12, Sky Dragon155, Madeliefje, Fairytale92, Catch Me Salvatore, Y. cant. i. be. invisible, Rosaa, Han1212, Uriah cullen, Lexi, Madeofawesome22, Twifanforever460, Lisa **_and_** Bellaandedwardcomstwin!**_ You guys are the best! Seriously! :)_

_To EJ Masen SARW: Today's chapter is the last chapter, which is just a fluffy ending. ;) _

_To Parkerstwilight: Lauren and Regina are going to have a fun vacation in jail. :p_

_To Thari: Lol, omg, not airing Vampire Diaries because of Queen's day? :p Ah well, you're right, they're weird enough to do it. :p Luckily they didn't. xD The episode was awesome, by the way. :D And thanks for all the sweet words, you deserve a big hug in return! :D_

_To Bella'Swan'22: Sure, here's a virtual HappyEverAfter!Edward for you! :D And no, I don't have any new ideas yet. :p First I'm going to take a short break from all the writing, and then we'll see if I can come up with an idea that I like. ;)_

_To Madeliefje: Good luck with your exams! :O_

_To Catch Me Salvatore: Ooh, yes. That sounds good as well! Damon and Stefan are awesome. :D_

_To Lexi: Lol, if I start writing a new story, I'll consider including a good-guy-Jacob. ;) _

_To Me and Balou: You sent me a message and asked me some questions regarding a translation, but you've disabled 'private messaging' in your settings, so I can't reply to you unless you enable it first. :p_

_Also; To all of you who asked for a __**sequel**__: No, I'm afraid that won't happen. For one because I'm not a sequel-person, I don't like dragging out stories for the sake of making them longer. ;) When a story is nicely wrapped up like this one, then it's (in my opinion) no use to write a sequel. Besides, it wouldn't be half as interesting as this story. ;) So I'm sorry, but there won't be a sequel. _

_Okay, last part! Enjoy this fluffy epilogue, and keep reading for my special word of thanks to you guys! :D Hope you'll all like the ending! Have fun. :D_

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**Epilogue**

_One month later…_

I was waiting for Edward, aimlessly strolling around our very large, and without a doubt ridiculously _expensive_ hotel suite. The fancy dress that I was wearing was very unlike me, and so was my current hairdo. Alice and Rose had worked two hours on it, and they had just left to reunite with Jasper and Emmett. We would all meet up later, but for now I was alone, and I felt restless.

I glanced around the room, looking for something to busy myself with while I waited for Edward's return, and my eyes fell on the glass door to my left, which led to the balcony. Hesitantly I opened it, stepping into the fresh air, hoping that it would clear my mind, if only a little. It was a good thing that I wasn't scared of heights, otherwise I'm sure I would've fainted. I shuffled closer to the railing of the balcony as I looked down at the city below. The sight was simply breathtaking. It was twilight, and millions of lights were twinkling beneath me, creating one big sea of light. New York; I had never been here before, but then again, the same could be said for every other place in this world, except for Forks and Port Angeles…

Edward and I had a good reason to be here, a reason that was making me both excited and nervous… Tonight was the premiere of Edward's latest movie, the one he had worked on before he had made his escape to rainy Forks. Of course I had insisted that he had to keep me out of this, and that I would sneak inside on my own to watch the event from a chair somewhere in the back. To my immense disappointment, he hadn't approved of my brilliant plan. In fact, he had insisted that he wanted me to be his 'red carpet date'. My stomach twisted at that thought. Tons of people would be watching me, either in person, or on the screens of their televisions. I doubted if I would even make it to the entrance of the theater without tripping over my own, clumsy feet. I had told Edward about my worries, but he had promised me that he wouldn't let go of me for one second. I trusted him, so that part wouldn't be the most difficult…

The horrifying part was that everyone would wonder why on earth Edward Cullen would drag the servant girl along to this important event. Like anyone could ever believe that he was dating boring, plain Jane, Bella Swan…

But regardless, I was going to do it. He had done so much for me in the past couple of months, and I owed him this much. He had practically saved my life, and I was thankful for that every single day.

My life had changed even more during the last few weeks; with my evil stepfamily spending a nice vacation in jail, I could focus on things that were _truly_ important. Things like Edward, school, and my future. I now had a pretty clear vision of what that future was going to look like. I had saved up a reasonable amount of college money thanks to my job at Forks' local library, and I had also picked the place _where _I would go to college. That place was none other than the enormous city that was stretching out in front of me; New York. The motivation behind this decision was that my handsome boyfriend had accepted a role in a new movie, and most of the scenes would be shot in New York. It came as no surprise that Edward also had a mansion here, somewhere, and the plan was that we would move there during the summer vacation.

I knew that it would be a huge change, moving from quiet, old Forks to a city like New York, but nevertheless, I was excited to jump into this whole new adventure. Besides, Edward would also keep the mansion in Forks, so we would be able to go back there whenever I missed my hometown. That was typically him, always doing what was best for me… Some days I woke up, still wondering if I wasn't dreaming, thinking that he couldn't be real…

The sudden sound of his velvety voice startled me, making me jump a little.

"Love? Everything is arranged, the limo will be here in thirty minutes." He announced, resting one of his hands on the small of my back as he came to stand beside me. "You look absolutely stunning by the way." He added, appreciatively checking out my dress.

"Thanks…" I muttered weakly, glancing sideways.

He looked gorgeous. He always did, but the sight of him in a tux never failed to make me swoon. A serene, uneven smile was on his face as he gazed back at me.

"A penny for your thoughts, you seemed miles away." He said, gently rubbing my back.

"Just… Thinking about what it would be like, living in New York." I provided him with part of the truth.

"Oh… Well there's still time to change your mind." He replied right away. "I understand that this has to be a big change for you."

I shook my head. "The weird thing is, I don't think I will change my mind… Actually, I was thinking that I was even looking forward to it."

His green eyes lighted up at my words, and his smile grew wider. "That's good to hear… And are you looking forward to tonight as well?" He asked casually.

I didn't answer him immediately. I didn't want to lie, but I also didn't want to ruin his big night with my insignificant concerns.

"You're not still worrying, are you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"A little." I admitted.

His arms found their way around my waist and he pulled me close to him, resting his head on top of mine. For a long moment we both stared at the countless city lights beneath us in silence.

"Don't. There's nothing to worry about." He finally whispered against my hair.

"I'm trying, but it's not working… Maybe you should distract me until the car is here." I suggested.

He chuckled, releasing me a little so he could take a better look at me. "Now that you mention it, there is something that I've wanted to ask you for the past week or so… I'm having some trouble finding the right moment, but I'm sure that it would be a major distraction if I picked _this_ moment…" He mused.

I briefly wondered if he was still talking to me, but apparently he was, seeing as he grinned at me when I sneaked a look at his face.

"I'm sure it can't be that bad… Go ahead and ask, anything for some distraction." I encouraged him, not having a clue as to why he needed to find a good moment to simply ask me a question.

"Are you sure?" He checked again.

"Sure, sure. Shoot."

"Shoot? It's way more serious than 'shoot', love." He said dryly, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Oh…" I muttered.

Serious? Serious usually wasn't good… On the contrary, a serious talk could often be associated with something _bad_… But no matter what, even if it was something bad, I was curious now, and I needed to know.

"You still want me to continue?" Edward pressed.

I nodded firmly. "Yes… Serious question, I'm ready for it, bring it on."

He rolled his pretty eyes but turned to face me, taking both my hands in his, squeezing them softly. His eyes were locked with mine, his stare more intense than I had ever seen it before.

My stomach turned. Uh oh, this had to be something _really_ serious.

"Bella…" He started, clearing his throat before continuing. "The last few months have been… amazing. You've changed me, and you've showed me what it's like to truly love someone with whole your heart… You made me feel things I never thought I would be able to feel."

I think my breathing stopped, panic rising slowly. This was it, I was going to be dumped, right? This sounded dangerously close to a thank-you-speech… I could only imagine what would come next… _It was nice for the time being, we had a great time, I loved you in a way, I want to thank you for everything you did, but you obviously don't fit into my movie star-life… _Perhaps this whole premiere-thing had been his wake-up call, and he had finally realized that we came from two completely different worlds.

"Bella?" He questioned, as if checking whether I was still listening or not.

"Uhu…" Was the only word I succeeded in choking out.

"I can keep beating around the bush, but it's a very simple question, really." He said softly.

His grip on my hands tightened, and I took a deep, shaky breath. And then he did the unthinkable. He sank to one knee in front of me, never letting go of my hands. Oh. My. God. Maybe I had it all wrong… Was he seriously going to...

He smiled up at me, his eyes smoldering me. The city surrounding us was long forgotten; I was caught up in the moment. As far as I was concerned there was only him, me, and the small balcony that we were currently standing on. He momentarily let go of one of my hands, fumbling something out of the pocket of his black jacket. It was a small, black box, and he held it up in front of me, looking up at me from under his long lashes.

"I know that this is old fashioned, but it's a big deal to me… Isabella Swan, I swear on my life that I will love you forever. I will take care of you until the day your heart stops beating, and I promise that I won't ever leave you." He said, his emerald eyes burning with sincerity, the truth of his words displayed in them.

He opened the box, and I swallowed heavily when I saw the shiny ring that it contained.

"Edward…" I said breathlessly.

"Marry me, Bella. Say you'll be mine forever." He said, gazing expectantly at me.

Wow… He _was_ proposing. Just like that. He wanted me to _marry_ him. I was shocked to say the least. Marrying… I had never thought of myself as the marrying-type, but with Edward, it suddenly didn't sound like such an unpleasant idea anymore… Oh, who was I fooling? Did I really have to think about this? Wasn't it perfectly clear that Edward was the only one I would ever love like this?

"Bella?" He asked anxiously. "Look, maybe I'm scaring you with all this, I know that I'm going very fast… If you want to wait, or if you don't want to… you know…" He rambled.

"Shht." I whispered, also sinking to my knees so I was level with him, ignoring the fact that Alice would kill me if something happened to the dress in the process.

Edward blinked, nervously watching me.

"You made all my dreams come true, Edward. Of course I'll marry you." I answered quietly before I wrapped my arms around him, hugging myself to him.

"Yes?" He asked, half surprised, half excited.

"Yes! A thousand times yes." I exclaimed.

He let out a shaky laugh as his arms tightened around me. "Yes…" He whispered next to my ear.

I let go of him, leaning back in order to look at him. His face was radiating happiness; more proof that I had made the right choice, I would do _anything_ to make Edward happy. He took my left hand in his, gently sliding the ring on my finger.

"Thank you, love." He murmured, his eyes sparkling.

"No, thank _you_, Edward."

To back up my words, I brought my face to his, gently pressing my lips against his. He closed his eyes and sighed in what sounded like relief. Our lips started to move against each other, and my hands traveled into his bronze hair, which was less messy today because he had done an attempt to tame it for the premiere. Well I would change that…

We kissed passionately, until we were distracted by a small cough.

"Mr. Cullen, Miss Swan… The car is here, we don't want to be late." Joe announced, peeking his head around the glass door, his expression amused.

I blushed furiously and Edward grinned sheepishly. "Right, let's go, sweetheart."

He got up from the floor, holding out his hand to me. I took it, grinning like a lovesick idiot while he helped me up.

"So, did it work? My little plan to distract you, I mean?" Edward asked smugly as he led me back into the hotel suite.

I playfully smacked his arm. "I think you know the answer to that question, Edward."

"I suppose I do… Well, it's time. I can't wait to show my new fiancé to the rest of the world." He responded cheerfully.

My cheeks heated up, but I couldn't deny that I secretly enjoyed the sound of that… Edward Cullen's fiancé… Nope, getting married definitely didn't sound so wrong anymore to me…

xxx

We were sitting in the limo, my hands nervously playing with the expensive material of my dress. Edward was sitting next to me, and I could feel his eyes on me, watching my every move.

"Calm down, love. It will be fine, there's nothing to be afraid of." He said calmly, placing his hand over mine, intertwining our fingers to try and save the dress from my fumbling hands.

"If you say so…" I mumbled.

He sighed, softly stroking my cheek with his other hand, causing me to look up at him.

"I'll stay with you the entire time, and all the screaming fans are safely behind the fencing… Why are you scared anyway?" He asked, his eyes meeting mine.

"You think that I'm being silly, huh?"

"No, I don't think that you're being silly. I'm simply trying to understand what's going on inside that pretty head of yours."

"I don't know… I'm just a little scared about peoples' reactions… What if they laugh at me? Or worse, laugh at you, because you're bringing along your housekeeper." I voiced my worries for the first time, wincing a little at the word 'housekeeper'.

Edward narrowed his eyes at me. "My housekeeper? You're my soon to be wife, please grasp that." He said, disbelief seeping through his voice.

"I know that." I quickly assured him. "But _they_ don't… The last thing they heard about me was the whole Tanya-scandal."

Edward shrugged nonchalantly. "Then tonight's the perfect opportunity for us to let people know about your new status..."

The car stopped, and I frowned at him. I had been too busy with freaking out to see where we were going, but it seemed that we had already reached our destination.

"What do we do now? Do we get out?" I asked, not able to hide my fresh wave of panic.

Edward laughed and gently squeezed my hand. "No, Joe will get out and open the door for us. All you have to do is follow my lead and smile like you mean it."

"Okay… I can do that…" I squeaked.

The door on Edward's side suddenly opened, and Joe nodded at us as a sign that we were allowed to get out. Edward did as he was told, and I could hear a lot of hysterical screaming coming from outside. Oh god… My knees started to feel weak. I couldn't do this!

"Love?" Edward urged me on, holding out his hand to me.

"I'll wait in the car?" It came out as a question.

Edward smirked and rolled his eyes. "Oh no, you don't."

I reluctantly placed my hand in his, and ungracefully got out of the car. As soon as I was safely standing on my own two feet, beside Edward who was firmly holding on to my hand, I finally had a chance to check out the chaos that was surrounding us…

We were standing on a long carpet with a deep-red color, and on both sides of the carpet were fences. Behind those fences were lots of reporters, as well as thousands of screaming fan girls. Some of them were holding banners with all different kinds of slogans on them. One said _'Bite me, Edward' _in thick, red letters, obviously referring to his role in that popular vampire movie that wasn't one of his favorites.

"Are you coming, love?" Edward hinted, gently tugging at my hand.

I gasped and nodded, obediently placing one foot in front of the other, walking down the carpet with him.

This had to be the most overwhelming experience I'd ever had in my life. Girls were screaming Edward's name, and cameras were flashing everywhere around us.

"This is… wow." I said in awe, raising my voice to be heard over the screaming.

Edward had put on a smile and was laughing and waving at the fans and cameras. "Yes, it is sort of 'wow'." He agreed.

Several people were eyeing me curiously, probably wondering what I was doing here, walking next to the most beautiful man in the world, but Edward seemed totally oblivious. He dragged me along as he posed for the journalists, and every time I tried to subtly distance myself from him when a picture was taken, he pulled me into his side to make sure that I would be in the picture as well. He seemed nothing but proud to have me by his side, and that thought gave me some newfound confidence.

I put on a smile as well, and timidly waved at a couple of reporters who were trying to get my attention. A camera flashed and I heard someone yell a "Thank you, Miss Swan!"

"That's it, love. You're a natural! They'll love you." Edward said sweetly, encouraging me.

I grinned, his words affecting me more than any of the other things that were happening around me.

"Mr. Cullen! Can we ask you some questions, please!" A female reporter who I guessed was in her mid-forties yelled, her face hopeful.

Edward smiled and walked up to her, pulling me along.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen!" She said warmly when she realized that he was complying.

"Just Edward, please. And sure, ask away." Edward replied, nodding at her.

A camera was pointed at us, and she held out a microphone in our general direction.

"Right, Edward! I think a lot of people were surprised to see that Miss Swan is your date for tonight. It's a rather interesting choice, if I say so myself." She started.

Edward smiled crookedly. "Oh, she sure is interesting. But I don't think it's such a weird choice." He disagreed lightly, admiringly smiling in my direction as he talked about me.

"Well, what I meant is, a lot of people know her as your housekeeper…" The woman probed.

Edward chuckled. "That's how we met, but she's not my employee anymore. Isabella and I have come a long way. In fact, I asked her to marry me today, and she said yes. So I'm proud to announce that as from today, I can officially call her my fiancée."

The woman gaped at him, and so did I. Did he just announce our engagement on national television? He clearly wasn't ashamed of me… My heart swelled with joy.

"You mean, we are looking at the future Mrs. Edward Cullen?" The reporter asked as soon as she had composed her face again.

"That is correct." He confirmed, lovingly kissing the top of my head before smiling into the camera again.

"Congratulations, Miss Swan. I think a lot of girls would love to be in your shoes." She addressed me, winking.

I shyly smiled into the camera. "Yes, I am one lucky girl." I agreed wholeheartedly.

She smiled at us, then turned towards the camera. "Thank you for watching, this was Angelica Johnson, talking to Edward Cullen and his fiancé Isabella Swan, who just might be the luckiest girl alive."

Edward smiled down at me as he guided me away from the cameras, to the entrance of the huge theater in front of us.

"And? Do you agree with her, luckiest girl alive?" He asked jokingly.

"Are you kidding? She's totally right." I said dreamily.

"Too bad that she forgot to mention that I am the luckiest _man_ alive." Edward mused.

I blushed, and he stood still at the entrance, spinning me around so I was facing him.

"Aren't we supposed to go inside?" I hinted.

"Yes… But first, let them take a picture of _this._"

Giving me no chance to protest, he quickly lowered his head in order to give me a brief but firm kiss on the lips. The screams from the crowd were getting louder, and he smirked against my lips.

Yep, that crazy reporter-woman had been totally right. I, Bella Swan, once a magnet for danger and accidents, had become the luckiest girl in the world. All the nonbelievers out there who were convinced that fairytales couldn't come true were completely wrong, because once in every while, they _did _come true. After Edward, I no longer had to ask myself if there was such a thing as a happily ever after, because this wonderful man had given me just that.

**The End.**

**

* * *

**

_You ran around, inside my head  
When you passed out, I felt dead  
And I realized you make me live  
And when my world, starts to cave in  
You jump inside, and take my hand  
No matter where, you are there_

_Will I ever see what you could see in me?  
Or do I just believe that we will always be and dream  
Well I will never be the same and when they see  
that you and me were meant to be they'll just believe why we,  
are together_

_You are my light, you are my star  
You are my sunshine and my dark  
You are the everything I dreamed about  
You are the guy, who stole my heart  
I am the girl you're always fighting for  
We have a love, people dream about  
A real life fairytale…_

_I thought that I, would be alone  
You caught my eye, and I was home  
And I realized that this is love  
I see the world, through different eyes  
I look at you, by my side  
No matter where, you're always there_

_Will I ever see what you could see in me?  
Or do I just believe that we will always be and dream  
Well I will never be the same and when they see  
that you and me were meant to be they'll just believe why we  
are together_

_You are my light, you are my star  
You are my sunshine and my dark  
You are the everything I dreamed about  
You are the guy, who stole my heart  
I am the girl you're always fighting for  
We have a love, people dream about_

_Dream with me  
Make me believe  
That this is a real life fairytale_

_You are my light, you are my star  
You are my sunshine and my dark  
You are the everything I dreamed about  
You are the guy, who stole my heart  
I am the girl you're always fighting for  
We have a love, people dream about  
A real life fairytale…_

'**Real Life Fairytale', lyrics by Plumb, from the album 'Chaotic Resolve'. **_  
www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=K8Wk07R4Vw4_

_

* * *

_

_Wow, so that's it! Another story finished. *Dramatic background music*_

_It was my original plan to make another thank-you-video, like I did for 'All I Never Wanted', seeing as a lot of people liked that. Unfortunately, my webcam had other plans. The stupid thing is nowhere near cooperative, so you'll all have to make do with this lame, written word of thanks. :p_

_First I want to thank all my awesome reviewers! I mean it, you guys are the best support anyone could ever ask for! Thanks for leaving all those compliments and kind words. Thanks for being so enthusiastic about my silly little story, I truly appreciate it! :D *Gives away more virtual hugs*_

_Also, a big thank you to everyone who has read this story and added it to their favorites! I'm sort of shocked that there are so many people who take the time to read this crap in the first place, so thanks! :D_

_Alright, so, there won't be a sequel, as explained in the author's note, but there's a very realistic chance that I will start working on a new story. xD I don't have any ideas yet, but knowing me, I'll probably start writing again as soon as I've found some new inspiration. :)_

_Until then, take care! You guys rock, and I hope to see you all at another story! :D_

_xxx Shirley_


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